Echoes of Thermopylae

The wharf was dark and rats scurried about as the water lapped at the heavy supporting pylons. A tall figure in dark clothes carefully emerged from the darkness and looked around as if he was sniffing the air, then he walked near to a phone booth and waited. The phone rang, he looked at it then began running away seconds before the glass box exploded showering glass down on him as he covered his head with his good arm and made his body as small as he could.

"Very good, Alex! That's what I like to see: intuition, quick reflexes."

Alex Krycek looked over where the easy man's voice came from. He bared his teeth and got to his feet gracefully, crunching broken glass under his shoes. "You tried to kill me!" Two figures were barely visible in the darkness, both much smaller than him. Blonde hair could be made out on one who gave a girlish laugh. The first voice returned.

"If I wanted to kill you, Alex, you'd be dead. I tested you. Admittedly, you'd be dead if you failed the test."

"Jesus, what kind of sick fuck are you?" he said. The blonde figure jumped and was suddenly right in front of him and holding a small pistol to his throat. He saw brown eyes opened wide. Alex automatically registered the Armani blazer, tight black jeans and Italian shoes. He smelled expensive perfume.

"Watch your manners, shithead!" she said. Alex nervously saw how her mouth was twitching. Mulder would have a field day with this one, he knew. A high functioning sociopath, multiple personality, God knows. It was Jilly herself.

"Langland, I thought you wanted to talk. Call your dog off." He saw her eyes start to take on a strange blank expression. Maybe that wasn't the smartest thing he could've said, but he didn't want them to think he was some pussy.

"That's enough, Jilly. Jilly! Alex does have a point. How would you feel in his position?"

The owner of the other voice had sauntered up. He wore an expensive trenchcoat. Like Alex had heard, Langland looked like a pretty boy wimp; somebody who'd be traded for cigarettes in prison. In reality, if Langland ever went to prison he'd be running it within a week. Except Langland was too smart to ever go to prison.

Jilly stepped away from Alex but she answered Langland. "If somebody ever tried jerking me around like that I'd skin him alive. But Alex isn't me. He's just a little ratfuck errand boy. Just what we need."

Langland sighed and ran his hand through his long brown hair, "You're not helping the situation with that kind of talk, Jilly."

Alex Krycek wished he could kill her. He'd love to kill her. Fuck her and kill her. He wouldn't stand a chance.

"I'll bet he's fantasizing about raping me, Langland. Wants to beat my head in with in his wooden arm, then shove it up me. What d'ya think?"

"Jilly, people can think anything they want. Will you please let me talk to him now?"

Alex had heard of this, that Jilly and Langland were like some old married couple. It'd be funny if they weren't so deadly. The slender blonde woman gave him a demented smile then stuck her shiny little Beretta in her waistband. She seemed to just disappear.

"Where'd she go?" Alex said nervously. That was genuinely strange.

Langland answered, "Nowhere. She's just very good at getting around in the dark. She'll be back if you try anything. But you know better than that, I know. Want a job?"

"Just like that? After you nearly killed me?" He was trying to sound furious.

Langland said, "Don't, Alex. I'm a sneaking murdering liar myself. Considerably better than you. So just don't. I don't have time. I'm trying to keep the yen from sinking in relation to the mark and those idiots in Pakistan just bought a shipment of defective plutonium that I have to head off somehow. So just don't try to play me. I don't have time to do my own treacherous backstabbing in the field anymore. Do your job and I'll make you a millionaire. You'll be able to get back at your enemies."

"Any enemies?" Alex said hoarsely, thinking of Mulder and the cigarette smoking man.

"Of course. How can I be Mephistoles if I can't offer something of value? Neither of them are really worth it, but that's your business."

"You can get to who I'm thinking of?" Alex said, meaning the smoking man.

Jilly reappeared at Alex's side but he kept from jumping. He felt something and looking down saw Jilly had stuck an icepick in his artificial arm. She buttoned her coat and pulled it out. "You don't mind do you? That guy you're so scared of isn't what you think he is, and he's not what he thinks he is either. All those puppetmaster guys are really putz masters dancing to Langland's tune. The big secrets they are protecting are just something Langland put together to keep 'em busy so they wouldn't get in our way. Better than killing 'em because they'd just be replaced."

Alex said, "Wait! That can't be! The alien colonists...the black oil.."

Langland said with a smile, "Not real, like Jilly said. Oh, there are aliens out there but they don't have any interest in us and sure aren't here. If something like that colonization plan was real the Slithlocs would just go and turn the planet of whoever was behind it into a charcoal briquette. They made an example once and no one will want a repeat of that though."

"Why? And why are you telling me this."

"I'm telling you this so you'll work for me. The diversion has neared the end of its usefulness. So even if anybody believed you it doesn't matter. And why the Slithlocs protect Earth--that I think I'll keep to myself. You might be able to figure it out though. I'll give you a hint. The blood is the life."

"You could be feeding me something right now you want me to pass on." Krycek said suspiciously.

"Yes, I could. Probably am. Want a job? You'll do the same things you've done before, just with better pay and perks. You're a smart amoral killer, Alex. Just the kind of can-do guy I need."

"All right," Alex Krycek said.

Langland smiled and stepped forward and took his hand with both of his. "That's great!" He looked earnestly in Alex's eyes. "I'm glad." Alex heard Jilly make a snorting sound. Langland released his hand put his collar up against the cold and walked back into the darkness.

Jilly smiled in a friendly way now at Krycek. "We'll be in touch. Sorry about sticking your arm that way. Wanted to see how you'd react."

"I didn't react."

"Right. You were smart. If you'd gotten mad I'd have killed you. I'll send you a new jacket." She seemed to just dematerialize into the night again in that unnerving way she had.

Alex looked around the dark wharf, his eyes catching the moonlight. He could hear sirens, probably coming to investigate the explosion. Krycek seemed to sniff the air and then disappeared into the darkness himself.

The tall muscular young man looked around with a charming smile. That had gone well. Alex Krycek had carried out an assignment for Langland and enjoyed every minute of it. An industrial spy, a senior vice president who was a secret Zionist had been passing information to the Israelis for years. In reality he was passing it to Langland. God knew what Langland did with it since Krycek did some digging and was sure he owned the Silicon Valley company himself. At any rate Langland wanted him taken out now but at a precise moment. Something to do with when the markets close in London, an impending merger, and as a warning to others present. That was why it required someone with finesse.

Krycek had gotten to know the boring little man, pretending to be a sales representative for a microchip company. Playing him was enjoyable. He'd recognized him as a closeted homosexual so had seduced the man, letting him weep in his arms at finally being understood. He'd seduced his virgin teenage daughter the day before and his wife the day before that. The man was going to be in a meeting at the precise moment Langland wanted him killed. Krycek constructed a small locket with poison and a mechanism to puncture his skin when he pressed a button on a little transceiver. Alex had wept about losing his arm in a car accident and then begged the man to wear this gift. The little fool cried and agreed and said he would leave his family for Alex. Krycek was looking down at the bobbing dark hair of the man's daughter, glanced at his watch, picked up the transceiver and pressed the button just as he came in the girl's mouth.

"I love you!" she said emotionally a moment later. Her large white breasts mashed against his artificial arm.

Alex grinned as he reached with his index finger to pick a little of his semen from the side her mouth and tapped it on her nose. "I love you, too, Monica. Are you daddy's little girl?"

She smiled and began sucking his finger. Krycek wondered if she would like anal sex as much as her late father.

Now Alex was in Chicago to collect his fee. He headed toward the restaurant in Little Italy. Of course he was careful, but he didn't really see Langland killing him to silence him. Langland went to too much trouble to recruit him. As he arrived a beautiful sports car parked on the street caught his eye. Inside most of the patrons were just regular looking people but there were also characters who looked liked they'd stepped right out of a Martin Scorsese movie. Perfect. He loved the humor of it. He gave his name and a waitress led him to a table saying he had a reservation. Alex saw Jilly then. She was in a beautiful dress and coming out of an office. She snagged a waitress going by with a plate of food, studied it and sent her back into the kitchen. A moment later a fat man in chef hat stepped out looking embarrassed. It looked odd seeing the slender blonde obviously reaming this guy out with all these Sicilian hand gestures for emphasis. His face was red and he nodded and said something, then went back into the kitchen. Jilly turned and scanned the restaurant. She saw Alex but she didn't immediately come over. Instead she just started going from table to table greeting people and asking how everything was. Alex noticed how the mob guys looked at her. They knew at least partly who she was and that screwing with Jilly Snopes was no way to live a long life.

His waitress came over but before Alex could order Jilly came up and began speaking quickly in Italian to the girl.

"Hope you don't mind. I've got something special that's not on the menu," she said as she sat down opposite him and gave him a dazzling smile.

"Please," he said carefully. He wasn't going to be fooled. He'd seen crime scene photos that were probably her work. Alex also remembered her sticking an icepick in his artificial arm just to see what he would do.

"Oh, relax. You're an employee now. I don't kill my employees...well unless they just can't make a decent roux no matter how many times I show 'em. Just kidding. No, really. Long as you do your job you got nothing to worry about from me," she said with a smile.

"What about Langland?" Alex said.

She rolled her beautiful brown eyes. "Oh, well, Langland...that's a different story. You probably understand him better'n me some ways, Alex. You're sorta like him...just about a million times less intelligent. That's not an insult, by the way."

Alex nodded. "I know what Langland is. I think I do anyway. That's not very reassuring."

Jilly grinned. "Every line of work has its drawbacks. It's your choice."

Alex was careful. She was disarming. It even seemed genuine. Maybe it was. He'd read the psychological profile the Bureau had on her. There were divergent opinions. Most considered Jilly simply an intelligent psychopath. Others thought she was a multiple personality, while one, Mulder now that Alex thought of it, thought she was a paranoid schizophrenic whose delusions nevertheless did not keep her from functioning. That was scary, Alex thought. That what she could be thinking as she looked at him had no relation to reality at all. She could think he was a talking dog or a figure from a Tarot deck or something but that didn't keep her from having a pleasant conversation with him.

She frowned and said, "Here," and tossed an envelope across the table to him. He looked around nervously. A place like this could very well be wired. Then he remembered Langland. He opened it and found a keyring. Jilly said, "That's to a safe deposit box and your new Ferrari that's parked outside."

He looked up at her and didn't say anything, still careful. That personality profile was seeming more and more germane. She looked contemptuously at him. "You did a good job, Krycek, but it kinda turns my stomach. You did what Langland wanted, but did you have to screw his wife and pop his daughter? You made him LOVE you! I mean, Jesus! Never mind. I know. This isn't like Thermopylae. The glory Sparta and her noble king, Leonidas, won that day will never die, Alex, ya'know? If I coulda been there! God! To die like that! Ya'know? Course you don't. You're just a little murdering fuck." Her voice got louder and louder and her eyes widened and she had a mad smile that was anything but friendly.

Krycek sensed a presence and looked behind him to see a huge man with a battered face and cauliflower ears. "Everything all right, Jilly?" the old hood said.

Jilly looked up at him and the mad light in her eyes went away and her mouth stopped twitching. "Yeah, Paulie, everything's fine."

The man lumbered off.

Jilly looked at Krycek. "Sorry. I shouldn't have gone off that way. Lotsa people think I'm nuts. They shoulda seen Callisto. That's all I can say." She got up. "Enjoy your new car while you can. Some heavy shit is coming down the pike and you're gonna be working." The meal came and she looked at it critically and said something to the waitress who brought her a portable rack of spices. As Krycek watched she seasoned his food, then began going from table to table followed by the waitress with the spice rack.

Krycek thought about what she had said. After he finished the best meal he had ever eaten and left, feeling Paulie eye him suspiciously, he went to the Main Library and found the Cambridge Encyclopedia of Ancient History. At Thermopylae King Leonidas and three-hundred Spartans held a narrow pass and delayed the Persian army for days before they were killed to the last man. It allowed the rest of Greece time to prepare. Two soldiers hadn't fought because they had gone blind from some illness. After the battle one had himself led out by his helot and pointed at the Persians who he attacked. The other returned to Sparta where he was reviled as a coward and then committed suicide.

Alex then looked up Callisto and froze at the picture. It was a statue of a female warrior and beside her was a small girl dressed similarly. Both held some kind of ring weapon and wore demented smiles identical to the one he had just seen across the table from him. The statue had been recovered from the waters off Herculaneum, a Roman copy of a Greek original, and was traditionally said to represent Callisto and a child demon. Henry Sallwethy, the preeminent scholar on the period, felt the child was none other than a young Queen Jilly.

Alex began searching for the entry on Queen Jilly when someone sat opposite him. He looked up at Langland who smiled pleasantly.

"Thought I might find you here. Paulie told me Jilly started talking crazy about old battles and stuff. The entry on Jilly isn't really very good. Her brother Sam was so important that everybody else gets shortchanged. Jilly the Butcher was the greatest fighter who ever lived with the possible exception of Captain Angela and Shining Kush, but they don't say much except she was the older sister of Good Prince Samuel. And they are VERY uncomplimentary about me. Jilly never even would have had a kingdom without me but you wouldn't know that from history books. They talk like I needed her when it was the other way around."

"What's going on?" Krycek said.

"Don't worry about it, Alex. You can't understand. Just do your job. This is ancient history, so to speak. Like your new car?"

Krycek answered, "Yes. Is it going to blow up when you're finished with me?"

Langland's too handsome face looked pained. "Alex, why would you think that?"

"Is it?"

The man sighed and said, "I hope it never comes to that, Alex. Do your job and there's no reason it ever should. Good work by the way. Jilly doesn't appreciate the style you showed but it's because she's really into that whole Thermopylae kinda attitude. Were you with his wife when you killed him?"

Alex said, "No, I was getting a blow job from his daughter."

Langland winced and said, "Ouch! I figured something like that. Like I said, good work. Brings back memories. Wish I had time for that kind of tom foolery."

"Thanks. Memories from the old days, Langland? How old?"

The handsome man smiled softly at Alex but there was a flicker in his eyes. "I told you not to worry about that."

Krycek kept his face expressionless, masking the terror he felt. Alex shrugged and said, "Okay."

Langland stood and sighed as he ran his hand through his hair. He looked away for a moment then looked back at Krycek. "You might require more sensitive handling than I anticipated. You're curious as a cat, I see that now. It's why you're good but it's problematical."

Alex was preparing to break Langland's neck. He thought if he was fast enough he could do it. Langland looked at him and said, "Don't, Alex. Even if you managed to kill me, which is unlikely since I'm tougher than I look, Jilly would come after you. She's not like me, Alex. She takes things personally. You've seen some crime scene photos, I bet. That's nothing to what she'll do to you if you kill me."

"You're going to kill me," Alex whispered raggedly as he got to his feet. His emotions were frayed and his control was loosening. A couple of students looked curiously over.

Langland said, "No, Alex. You're letting your fear obstruct your thinking. I hadn't realized quite how high strung you were; like a race horse. Losing your talents is the last thing I want to do."

Krycek tried to calm down, to consider what Langland said. He finally said quietly, "This is like when Jilly stuck that icepick in my arm. You just want to see how I react."

Langland smiled, "You haven't disappointed me yet, Alex! Enjoy your new car." He turned and walked off leaving Alex to shakily sit back down. He saw Jilly emerge from some stacks of books and join Langland. She smiled brightly at him and came over to Krycek.

She studied him. "We're being rough on you because we've got some big plans, bigger than you can imagine. You're our boy. We'll make it up to you." She indicated the open book with the picture of the statue. "You wanna know about that stuff? Be careful what you wish for, Alex. You might get it. Oh, here." She reached into her Gucci purse and came out with a brown paperbag. "I made you some canolis." Jilly patted his shoulder and rejoined Langland.

As Alex approached his apartment he saw light coming from under the door. He tried the knob and it was unlocked too. He opened his door and entered his apartment, keeping his hand on his gun in his pocket. "Who are you?" He closed the door with his foot, not taking his eyes from his visitor.

There was a big dark haired woman sprawled on his couch with her arms clasped behind her head. She was dressed in blue jeans and a cowboy shirt and wore tooled boots. She smiled at him and he saw crafty blue eyes.

"I'm Kimberly," she said and brought her hands forward and cracked her knuckles. Alex noticed the bracelet of blonde hair she wore on one wrist.

She waited for a response but when there wasn't one she said, "Keep poking around like you have been and you'll hear of me. Thought I'd drop by and say hello." She rose and picked a drink with ice up from his coffee table. "I helped myself. This is pretty good stuff. I was never a scotch drinker, always stuck with Wild Turkey, but this is good."

Krycek kept his anger down. She had something to do with Langland. Was it another test? Or was this an enemy? "What do you want, Kimberly?" he said easily.

The big woman downed the drink and said, "Langland is impressed by you." He heard the contempt in her voice. "Him and me go way back. Jilly kept me from killing him twice, no, three times."

"You want me to kill him? Even if I could Jilly would cut my head off."

Kimberly shook her head. "She'd do considerably more than that. No, my days of trying to whack that little weasel are over. You're getting in over your head, Alex, but you still have time to back out. This is my good deed for the day, warning you. Wouldn't have been my first choice but I do what I'm told these days."

"I can't back out. They'll kill me if I try now," Alex said. He walked into his kitchen and poured a drink for himself. He looked curiously at her and the big woman looked hesitant then brought her glass over for a refill. That was good to know.

She took a drink then said to him, "They'll let you go if the right people tell 'em to. There must be more to you than I can see. I sure wouldn't go to this trouble for you but Hades sent me."

Alex smiled and caught her eyes, "'Hades.' Isn't that a bit much?"

Kimberly smiled at him, meeting his look with a sensuous one of her own. "Yeah, Alex, that's exactly it. Hades is some cheesy spy master. I can't fool you."

Krycek was careful, though he moved closer, "I didn't say that. Thanks for the warning."

She tooked another drink and looked appraisingly at him, then shook her head as if to clear it. "I just do what I'm told. Convincing people isn't what I'm good at. Since they sent me maybe they wanted me to fail. You and me, are alike in that way, Alex. Just dancing to someone else's tune whether we know it or not. You had some of that before but the guys you worked for were stooges themselves. You've moved up the food chain, Alex. You might actually get some real answers now if you don't bail like you will if you're smart."

"Hades is like Langland?" Alex said.

Kimberly laughed softly. "Oh brother. Lucky for you Helms isn't here. He wouldn't appreciate the comparison." She stopped and seemed to be listening then said. "I can't tell you anymore. Thanks for the drink."

Krycek just said, "Don't go if you want to stay."

Kimberly looked at him. "You're a bad guy, Alex. A real bad guy. But at least you're up front about it. How'd you lose your arm?"

"Some Russians sawed it off. If what Langland said is true, it was just part of his diversion. All those men living on the edge; just pawns. I was one of 'em."

She shrugged. "I know about you. It's a little hard to sympathize. I'm going now but I'll keep you in mind. I like you more than I should. I have lousy judgment. Ask my former army. We'll probably meet again. Don't ever try to trick me, Alex. It pisses me off. I'm not as good as Jilly but I'm good enough to kill you without breaking a sweat."

"What will happen if I tell Langland and Jilly about you?" Alex asked.

Kimberly set her empty glass down on the counter and said, "How do I know? Try it and see. What's the worst that could happen? Oh, wait a minute, you've seen crime scene photographs of what Jilly can do haven't you? Good luck with whatever you decide."

She picked up a black motorcycle jacket and shrugged into it, winked at him, and left his apartment. Alex sipped his drink and looked thoughtfully after her. He decided to keep this to himself.

"Dammit, Mulder! This had better be impor..." Scully's voice stopped as she saw the open folder on Mulder's desk. She closed the door behind her and walked over quickly and picked a surveillance photograph up. She looked up. "Krycek...who's he with?"

Fox Mulder said, "You need to get out of the lab more, Scully. Stop spending all your time with stiffs. That's Langland. He's the one who was actually being watched by Army Intelligence...wouldn't tell me why. One of my sources passed it on to me."

"Covarrubius?" Scully asked but Mulder didn't answer.

The small red haired woman pursed her lips as she studied the photograph. "That's Langland? He looks like my grandmother could take him. Shouldn't he be older than that too?"

"He's older than he looks, maybe a lot older. Scully, your grandmother would have to be one tough cooky, because she'd have to go through Jilly to get to him." He picked up another file and extracted a picture.

Dana Scully shrugged. "So. She doesn't look so tough either."

Mulder raised his eyebrows and handed her some other photographs. "My God! What's this?" She was looking at a glossy color picture of a room full of body parts. There were a number of guns visible lying around.

Mulder answered, "That used to be Salvatore "Big Sal" Collosimi and five of his men. Big Sal was an up and comer who wanted to be more than just a hood, wanted to play in the big leagues. There were witnesses to who went in and out. It was only her. Look close Scully. None of 'em were even shot. Jilly used chef knives. She left them sticking out of Big Sal in various amusing ways. That's an in joke for the mob guys. She's got a restaurant."

"Mulder, what kind of person would do this?" Scully said in amazement. She began looking at the other photographs which were also scenes of carnage. She could see a kind of pattern though, a strange sense the corpses and pieces of same were actually arranged.

Her partner saw what she did and said, "She's known for emphasizing presentation at her restaurant. Everything has to be just right. Read the profile, Scully. There's different takes on her. My analysis is in there but I'm a minority opinion. I think she's crazy as a loon but makes it work for her somehow. Most think she's just a real bad ass."

"Is this a Star of David?" Scully asked, studying one picture.

"That's from Namibia. Israeli mercenaries who did their job then wanted a bigger piece of the pie. That Jilly. What a card." He took the picture and studied it. "They were shot. They must've been pretty damn good."

Scully said, "All right, Mulder. We have Krycek consorting with an international arms dealer and whatever else Langland has his fingers in. So? Is it an X-File or do you just have a hard on for Krycek?"

"Oooh, Scully. The mouth on you! No. There's more to Langland and Jilly than just a James Bond villain and his psycho girlfriend."

The woman looked at him suspiciously. Here it comes, she thought. "Okay, Mulder. What makes this an X-File. Are they Venusians or something?"

Mulder said, "Can't you at least try to keep an open mind? And, no, they aren't Venusians as far as I know."

"Okay, let's hear it," his partner said resignedly.

"Well, I don't think I want to share with you now," Mulder said in a hurt tone.

"Fine," Scully said and turned and walked to the door.

"They're time travelers from Ancient Greece, Scully."

Scully stopped and looked at him, then closed her eyes. "Oh, God, Mulder."

"Scully, just hear me out. Look at this." He took some books off of a chair and opened them to marked pages.

Scully took a seat and began studying the history books closely, comparing pictures to the photographs of Jilly and Langland. Finally she looked up at Mulder's triumphant face.

"Mulder, this is fascinating. But hasn't the most obvious explanation even occurred to you?" From the disappointed guilty look he got she knew that it had. For a moment Scully felt like she was telling a child there was no Santa Claus. He nodded.

"Yeah, sure. But that doesn't mean it's true."

Scully said, "Fine, make me say it. I'll be the big bad witch. Langland and Jilly, whatever their real names are, intentionally modeled themselves on King Langland and Jilly the Butcher. You think she's delusional, right? Well, maybe this is her delusion and Langland goes along with it for whatever reason...to keep her working, to keep her happy. Who knows, maybe he just loves her. I'm sorry, Mulder. But doesn't that seem more likely than them having a time machine?"

"On the surface, Scully, sure. But it's just too close." Mulder winced at how weak it sounded. Langland was a genius and Jilly was a perfectionist. If they decided to adopt personas of course they would do it up right. And he was the one who had argued that Jilly was schizophrenic.

Agent Scully got up. "This is valuable, Mulder. Knowing this, maybe Langland's true identity can be discovered. And it should certainly help figuring out what makes Jilly tick. And Krycek, well...they are up to something no good even if it's not an X-File. I want a piece of Krycek myself, Mulder. I just seriously doubt a time machine is out there."

"Okay, Scully...you win."

"Oh, Mulder." She walked over and put a hand on his shoulder. "It's not about me winning." Scully looked at his I WANT TO BELIEVE poster. "Mulder, no one would be more excited than me if they were real. I love stuff about

Ancient Greece. When I was a little girl I wanted to be Xena, if you can believe it."

"Who?" Mulder said.

"A hero type who went around righting wrongs with her trusty little sidekick."

"Scully..."

"Don't say it, Mulder," she said warningly, looking up at his face.

"Okay."

Krycek stepped again into the restaurant. It was day and was closed. He noticed Paulie again, watching him. Alex would have to deal with him sooner or later. He knew the type. Alex just went to the office in back like he'd been told to. The door was open but he knocked on the door and Jilly looked up from her desk and beckoned him inside while she continued talking on the phone.

"Listen, how long have I been getting produce from you? I expect fresh friggin tomatoes. Is that too much to fucking ask? Don't 'Ah, Jilly,' me. Who do you think you're talking to? Yeah...yeah...see that you do. Now lemme talk to Mario..."

Alex tuned out and was looking at the pictures on the wall behind her. He recognized the woman from the previous night in his apartment. Except these looked like they were from late fifties and early sixties, and she still looked exactly the same. She was there with a handsome hood Krycek recognized as Cal Snopes. There were some pictures of them with a little girl and boy. He remembered the statue of a small child with Callisto.

"You gotta question?" Jilly said as she hung the phone up.

Alex shook his head. "Just admiring the pictures."

The blonde glanced at them and back at him. "Listen, Alex, I told you you'd be working. Here." She handed a file to him. "Langland wants this guy to be caught embezzeling. Set it up."

Alex glanced inside: the personnel file on the Chief Financial Officer for an import export firm in Taiwan. There were pages of financial records too. "When?" he just said.

The phone rang and Jilly said quickly, "Inside of a month," before she picked up. She indicated for him to wait as she started talking to a rancher about what he fed his livestock. She opened her desk and took something out and handed it to him. Alex saw a credit card with his name on it, though it was strangely blank looking. Jilly shooed him away and Alex nodded and left her office. He felt Paulie's eyes and just walked over to him.

"Problem?"

"Nah, faggot, just don't like your looks. We don't need you," the huge scarred man said with a sneer.

Alex smiled and lashed out with his wooden arm, sending Paulie crashing to the floor. Before he could get up Alex kicked him in the face and sent him sprawling. Kryeck just stood watching him slowly get to his feet. "Guess, I see why they had to bring in new talent."

"Paulie...Paulie...use your head, will ya? That's enough." Jilly said from her office door.

"Ah, Jilly..." he said but silenced at a look from her and just glared at Krycek. Alex nodded at her and left as he saw Jilly looking at the old hood's face and brushing him off.

Scully looked out the peephole in her door and saw a tall woman in a motorcycle jacket whom she didn't recognize standing in the hallway. It was eight in the morning and she had just gotten out of the shower. Opening the door she looked at the taller woman and said, "May I help you?"

"You probably wanna talk to me. I'm Kimberly."

Scully looked blank. "I'm sorry."

The big blue-eyed woman sighed, "Jeez. I don't why they chose me for this. Nobody remembers me anymore. Listen, Agent Scully, you and your partner are looking at Krycek and Langland. I'm up to my assets in this, though I still dunno why."

Scully studied her and said, "Come in." She was in a blue terrycloth robe.

The woman said, "Go ahead and get dressed."

Scully looked at her again and said, "Okay. The coffee will be ready in a little bit. I'll be right out."

"Okeydokey," Kimberly said.

A few minutes later Scully emerged from her bedroom and found Kimberly pouring a cup of coffee for herself. She took what looked like a platinum flask from a pocket and poured it in her drink. Scully got a cup for herself and shook her head when the woman held the flask up. She smelled whiskey.

"Kimberly, what exactly do you have to tell me? Who are you?" Scully asked.

The woman sipped her drink and said, "I'm Jilly's mother. That little ratfuck, Langland, is my son-in-law. Cal was right. We shouda killed him when he first came sniffing around her. Too late now. Way too late." She sipped her coffee again and waited.

Scully studied her. She wasn't old enough unless she was incredibly well preserved. Scully asked, "What are their real names? Why are they pretending to be King Langland and Jilly the Butcher?"

Kimberly smiled. "Hey, I like that. I didn't even think of that take on it. Pretty good. Logical. Rational. Believable considering how over the top Jilly can get. That's you, right? Mulder's the one with intuition. Usually he's right but other times he falls on his face, and you have to bail him out, I bet."

Scully didn't respond, though she thought the woman had pretty succintly summed up her and Mulder.

The woman continued, "Okay. So you won't believe what I have to tell you. I'll do it anyway. They aren't pretending. She's Queen Jilly and that bastard is Langland. 'Jilly the Butcher' huh? That's my girl."

She stood up and said, "Look up the Sword of Ares. Oh, what do you think of Alex Krycek?"

Scully stood up too. "I don't know what your game is. Krycek is a liar and a murderer. I have personal knowledge of at least two killings he is responsible for."

Kimberly said. "As many as that, huh? Gee. He is kinda cute though. See ya later, Agent Scully." She left her apartment. Scully frowned and picked her phone up to dial Mulder.

"This woman claimed to be Jilly's mother, Scully?" Mulder said as she came out of her apartment building and met him on the street.

"Like I told you over the phone, Mulder," she said shortly. "But she's not old enough. She also said they aren't pretending, that they really are who you think. Oh, and it sounds like she's got a crush on Krycek," she spoke ironically.

"I'm stumped on this one. Anything else?" Mulder asked.

"Yeah, she said to look up the Sword of Ares. I just did a search on the internet. The Sword of Ares was a warlord around the same time as Langland and Jilly. Before Jilly and Langland carved their own kingdom out, she was the Sword of Ares' lieutenant. Oh, and my hero Xena was real apparently. Jilly was also related to her somehow. There are contradictory stories."

"Wow," Mulder said. "Did she look like her, the woman, I mean? The Sword of Ares?"

Scully looked up with annoyance. "God, Mulder. She's not the Sword of Ares. And, I can't say if she looks like her, though it wouldn't suprise me since she's playing the same game Jilly and Langland are. The Sword of Ares always wore a helmet with a chainmail veil."

Mulder said, "Hey, I've seen that. Some frieze of a battle was on the cover of my college history textbook. Was it that one?"

Scully nodded, "Yeah, and there was a statue from China too, and coins from all over the Near and Far East. She got around. As a rampaging mass murderer she was ahead of her time. That frieze shows the destruction of her army when she was heading back to Greece. Janice Covington found both of 'em."

"She still alive?" Mulder asked.

"Oh, Mulder. What are you thinking?" Scully asked.

The little old woman opened her door. The gun she held wasn't little. "Yeah, who are you?"

"We're federal agents, mam. You don't need that," Scully said placatingly. She and Mulder both held identification up.

"G-men, huh? Hoover was an asshole. Hypocritcal little shit. Tried to get me deported as a pervert, like he did Chaplin, when he was bouncing Shirley Temple on his knee then going home to dress in an evening gown and take it up the butt from his aide." The old woman set the big .45 automatic down on a table next to the door. "Well, come on in. You here to arrest me for being a dyke? That the new crusade so the director can get funding?"

The old woman just turned around and walked into her living room. She wore wool pants, boots and a man's shirt. Mulder and Scully looked at each other and followed her inside. The walls were lined with books. An ancient looking hat, bomber jacket and bullwhip hung on a coat rack. A huge cat wound around their ankles. The woman sat down slowly and took a cigar from a box on the table and clipped the end off.

Mulder bent to pet the cat which hissed and scratched his hand, making him jump. He heard the old woman laugh. "Be careful of Ares, G-man. He doesn't like secret police anymore than I do."

Scully looked at his hand. The woman said in a different tone of voice. "Really got you good, huh? Sorry. Don't worry, he's had his shots. Lemme put something on that." She started to get up.

Scully said, "Let me get it. I'm a doctor."

The old woman shrugged, "Sure, honey. There's bandages and stuff in the medicine cabinet through the door there."

Scully quickly returned and began dressing Mulder's hand.

Mulder said, "Dr. Covington, we wondered if we could talk to you about the Sword of Ares."

The small old woman instantly became alert. "Kimberly? What about her?"

Scully and Mulder looked at each other. Scully said, "Mam, we are working on a case and there seem to be several people who have adopted the personas of among others, the Sword of Ares. We were wondering if perhaps you could shed some light on this."

Janice Covington peered at them. Ares jumped up beside her and she ran a wrinkled hand through his long gray fur. "Take a look at the pictures on the wall over there," she said and gestured with her cigar. Scully and Mulder walked over.

"That's her, the woman I met. But then who is this? She looks almost exactly like her."

Mulder said quietly, "Look, Scully." He pointed to a picture that showed a baby propped up against a wicked looking helmet with a chainmail veil.

"I love that. Jilly was such a cute baby," Janice Covington said, as she slowly came over looking fondly at it. "This one who looks like Kimberly is Melinda Pappas. Well, Fredericks, but I always think of her as Mel Pappas. Really, both of 'em look like Xena, of course."

"Are you saying that Kimberly really is the Sword of Ares?" Scully asked. The pictures looked like they were from forty years ago. She was trying to get a handle on what was happening. Were the pictures faked? Perhaps the woman she had met was a daughter of one of the women in the photographs. Maybe this was a shared delusion that had been quietly going on for years and years.

The old woman looked shrewdly at her and took a puff of her cigar. "She tell you that's who she was?"

Scully said, "Not exactly. She said she was Kimberly, that nobody remembered her anymore, and told me to look up the Sword of Ares. She said she was Jilly's mother."

Janice Covington smiled slightly. "Well, that's her all right. Was she drinking, by the way?"

Scully nodded and the woman shook her head sadly. "That's too bad. I really thought she had it licked. How bad was she?"

Scully was perplexed by how this conversation was going. "She seemed functional. I saw her in the morning and she was drinking though."

The old woman just looked sadly at the pictures. "You'd think that's the kinda thing dying would take care of. I guess not."

Mulder said, "Dr. Covington. How can she be the Sword of Ares? And how can Jilly and Langland be real?"

At the name Covington made a sour face. "Langland, that little rat bastard! I tried to just shoot him down like a dog when I saw how he had Jilly wrapped around his little finger. She wouldn't let me. I imagine she's done that quite a few times since, saving his weasel ass." She studied the agents again. She pointed at Scully. "You think I'm a crazy old lady, and you," she pointed at Mulder, "want to believe. I'll bet you make a good team, balancing each other out. Like me and Mel before she left me to live a straight charade--I shouldn't say that. Or kinda like Xena and Gabrielle, though that was more one-sided. The bard was more like a sidekick, I'm sorry to say, not an equal partner like me and Mel or you two probably are."

Scully didn't answer. These people kept summing her and Mulder up so quick and well. Were they that obvious?

"Or Jilly and Langland," Mulder said.

The old woman frowned again. "I guess. I just hate that little shit. He murdered Andre Charcot so I could get his grant. That's his idea of helping out. Poor Andre. I feel responsible."

Scully said, "Why are you sorry Gabrielle was just a sidekick?"

Janice Covington, "Family pride. My own vanity. I'm her descendant just like Mel and Kimberly are both descended from Xena. Kimberly's actually Mel's granddaughter, though I don't imagine you believe that. I'm telling you this since Kimberly came to see you, by the way. Her young self is probably somewhere around too. She wouldn't be any help to you though. Wouldn't know anything. I don't just go around babbling this by the way. Don't wanna get thrown in the loony bin."

Mulder said, "Mam, can you tell us what is going on?"

The old woman laughed. "Sorry, I don't understand it either. You just have to accept this stuff. Too bad Mel is dead. She might be able to just summon 'em up somehow and give you some answers. She's part of the family. But she's gone. You could go ask Jilly. Course she might kill ya if her and Langland are up to something."

Mulder said, "Thank you for your time, mam. He handed his card to her. If you think of anything that might be helpful could you give us a call?"

Covington took the card. "Sure, G-man. Always glad to help one of Hoover's stooges. Sorry about your hand." She followed them to the door. As Scully stepped out she felt a pat on her behind and looked with surprise at the old woman who grinned at her.

It was late evening and Krycek was walking down the street thinking of how to proceed with Langland's new assignment. If he spoke Chinese he would just fly to Taiwan immediately, but he didn't, so he was arranging what he could from here and looking for a translator. He'd play it by ear if he needed to kill the translator as a witness. Too many dead ticked people off. Mulder and Scully were still after him for that ski lift operator. All he needed was some obsessive Chinese cop after him too. As he was passing a bar he just glanced inside and a motorcycle jacket and dark hair caught his eyes. He pushed the door open and walked inside.

She was sitting alone at the bar. He looked around. It was a pretty rough looking place. He took a seat beside her and she looked over with bleary eyes. There were five empty shot glasses in front of her. He saw she had something in her hand. Alex just reached over and took it and she allowed it after a second. He recognized one of the photographs he had seen in Jilly's office. It was her with a little dark haired boy on her lap.

"Hey," she said.

Alex glanced around. This didn't look like any place for a good looking woman to get shit faced in. Usually he wouldn't think of something like that. He wasn't sure why he was now.

"What are you doing, Kimberly?" Krycek said quietly.

"What's it look like? I'm performing brain surgery."

"Where are you staying. I'll call a cab for you," Alex said.

She said, "Nowhere. I just dropped out of the sky. Don't worry, I'll find some place." She got up and said, "I'll be right back." She walked unsteadily to the Lady's Room. The bartender came up.

"What can I do you?"

"Beer," Krycek said.

As the bartender placed it before him he said quietly, "I'm glad you showed up. Some guys been eyeing her. I tried sending her home in a cab, too. Lady needs a friend."

Krycek nodded and said, "Who was checking her out."

"Over by the pool table. The two bikers."

Krycek picked his beer up and walked over by the pool table. He guessed they'd had a hard day in the crystal meth lab and were here to relax. He could just imagine what they planned for Kimberly. One of 'em, a burly guy with a sleeveless denim vest and a beard said, "Need something?"

Alex smiled and said, "The lady's leaving with me. Hope you aren't too disappointed."

The other one, a skinny speed freak in a leather jacket covered with patches said, "What's it to you?"

"Friend of mine," Alex said.

The first one shrugged and said, "No problem."

Krycek went back to the bar. When Kimberly emerged from the restroom Alex set his unfinished beer down and said, "Come with me."

She looked at him with those amazing blue eyes. There was something of Jilly in 'em. "YOU'RE telling ME what to do?" She smiled, then said, "What the hell..where to?"

"My place. You need somewhere to sleep."

She looked at him again. "Okay, lover."

Alex smiled slightly. He saw her pull a wad of hundreds out and just peel one off.

"Lemme get his too. Keep the change."

"Yes, mam," the bartender said. They left the bar and continued walking down the dark street. The neighborhoods changed fast. They weren't that far from where Krycek's apartment was and it wasn't too bad there. He felt a hand pat his shoulder.

"My knight in shining armor. Did you warn off those shitheads while I was in the can?"

Alex looked at her. "Yeah. You knew they were watching you? But you just kept drinking?"

"My horse had tougher guys than them in her turds."

Alex did a double take then said, "They might come after us now. I don't think they were too impressed by me."

Kimberly smiled. "They just don't appreciate all your sterling qualities." She stopped and seemed to listen then stepped into an alley. Krycek followed her in and they waited. Moments later the two bikers appeared searching. Alex kicked, breaking the right kneecap of the skinny one. He turned to deal with the bigger one who had a knife out. Kimberly also had a knife out and was grinning.

Alex said, "Take your friend and get lost." The big man glanced at him then at Kimberly who shrugged and stepped back. He carefully walked over to his moaning running partner, then jumped at Alex. Krycek was expecting it but Kimberly was already there,tripping him and running him head first into a wall with a sickening thud. Krycek and Kimberly looked down at the dead staring eyes and Krycek instantly went over to the other one with the broken knee who was desperately trying to scramble away. He slashed at Alex with a knife but Krycek blocked it with his artificial arm and hit him in the throat with his other hand. He dragged his choking form deeper into the alley and broke his neck. Alex was breathing raggedly now, his adrenalin pumping. He looked up at Kimberly and saw her smiling at him.

"Think it'll be okay?" Kimberly asked.

"The bartender could put us with them."

Kimberly said, "Get your car. I'll wait here. Do you have a tarp or something? We don't wanna leave traces in your trunk."

"I'll figure something out," Alex said and quickly left, not running so he wouldn't attract attention.

In the alley Kimberly looked ironically at the two bodies and said, "Thanks boys. That's what I call a fun first date."

The light hit her eyes and Kimberly winced. She frowned and looked over. She was in bed with somebody. Looking to her other side she saw an arm on the floor. She lifted covers up and looked down. She was naked. She sighed. It began coming back to her now. After her and Krycek buried the bodies, first chopping up the fingers and faces to make identification difficult, they'd come back here keyed up. It was exciting. Cops and robbers action had a different feel than laying siege to cities and fighting armies. Alex had kept on being the perfect gentleman. She just ripped his clothes off. Alex couldn't stop her and finally understood that he wasn't remotely in her league. He smiled and gave up; there were worse ways to be overpowered.

She had been pretty pent up. She hadn't been laid in, God...she started thinking back. Not since Cal. When she was losing it there at the very end she vaguely remembered trying to seduce Joxer...Jesus, Meg and his kids were just a few tents away...Jesus. Joxer had kissed her forehead and left. God, it was...well, subjectively it was years; objectively it was hard to say considering how she was always being jerked in and out of Tartarus and the Elysian Fields where time was fluid, or sent here or there in history when Hades or somebody wanted some discrete asskicking carried out, or they wanted one side to win in a battle, so they'd send Kimberly to make it happen. When Alex Krycek looked at the picture of Sam and then tried to actually take care of her it all just came tumbling out. This little one-armed errand boy thought he had to rescue HER: Kimlee, Destroyer of a Thousand Cites; Kushranhara; the Sword of Ares. It was just so goddamn cute!

She looked over at him again and traced his lips with a finger. He was a real bad guy. She thought of Weldon and Cal. So were they but not in quite the same way. Alex here had a sneaky vicious streak. But she still liked him. She was sure he'd done things that would make her despise him. She hoped she didn't learn them, at least for a while. For the first time she began to understand a little what Jilly saw in Langland. As the Sword of Ares she had probably crucified or had buried alive a hundred guys just like Alex Krycek: agents sent to spy on her or murder her. They were talented but not spectacular, and didn't stand a chance against someone like her or Xena.

Why had he tried to help her last night? If he was trying to play her he wouldn't have tried sending her home in a cab. Even a ratboy like Alex Krycek had another side to him. She saw him wince a little in his sleep and reach for his missing arm. Bad dreams. Kimberly had told him it was hard to sympathize. But it was getting easier and easier for her.

Jilly looked up from where she was sitting on the couch reading Cosmopolitan. Langland had just come in. "What happened?" she said.

The handsome man took his stylish trenchcoat off and glanced at her, wondering how she did that. If he asked that he could say exactly why, as he analyzed a thousand variables. But Jilly didn't think like that, he knew. She could just feel things.

"Something's up, Jilly. Might be the gods."

Jilly said, "Shit...which one?"

"I don't know yet. But something is happening with Krycek."

The blonde stood up. "He's not good enough for any of 'em to want him as a favorite. It's about us."

"I tend to agree but we should keep an open mind. Remember Angela. Neither of us saw that coming. Sam too for that matter. I doubt Alex is ever going to displace you or I, but there twelve Olympians, Jilly. He might have talents we're blind to because of our own orientation."

"Jeez, Langland. Could you be any more pompous? We mighta missed something. Can't you just say that?"

He ran his hand through his hair and didn't respond. Jilly got up and came over and put a hand on his arm. "Sorry, honey. My temper...you know...I try but...well..."

"I know, Jilly. I know I'm sorta stiff for you."

She grinned, "Really?"

He smiled softly at her.

"Want me to kill him?" Jilly said as she scratched her head.

Langland shook his head. "No. I don't want to lose him unnecessarily. It would mean setting our plans back, aside from I just like how he handles things. He makes me nostalgic. Reminds me of myself."

Jilly laughed, "From when? When you were six."

He smiled, "About that. Besides if a god is interested in him we might anger whoever it is by killing him. I'd rather not have a replay of that little scene."

Jilly winced. "I know, babe. Weldon could be one mean mother. The gods didn't have to turn him loose on you like that. They coulda just whacked you. Didn't have to let a seven foot Celt turn you steak tartar."

Langland shrugged. "When I killed his reincarnation I angered half of Olympus who had plans for him. They aren't a very forgiving bunch."

"Athena shoulda warned you. She shoulda stood by you. You were her boy."

"There were too many. And, well, it was also the way I killed Siegfried, Jilly. You don't know everything. I was trying to psych Kimberly out but it backfired on me. It had the desired effect on her but in the process I seriously ticked off several gods."

"Kimberly?" Jilly said. "Her spirit or something? What could psych out Mom? What did you do, Langland?"

"Yeah, her spirit. You don't want to know, Jilly. You'll get mad at me too. It's all over and done with anyway."

Jilly said, "Whatever. So what about Krycek?"

"Let's just watch him," Langland said easily. "Oh, I hear he had an altercation with Paulie."

Jilly shook her head. "God, Langland, was Paulie always this stupid? He couldn't have been."

"No. I think it's all those years in the ring, not to mention all the times he's been in fights and shot or whatnot. He's getting older and it's all coming out now I'm afraid. Paulie is on the verge of being a real liability. I.."

Langland stopped and looked at the knife an inch away from his face. Jilly's eyes were wide and mad looking. She said, "Paulie has protected me and Sam our whole lives. He got shot once doing it. My dad always said he felt safe when Paulie was covering his back. Paulie used to pick up Sam from school everyday and would buy me ice cream. Now just consider that before finishing your thought here."

Langland said, "I was just going to say we should send him to a doctor to check him out, and maybe find him a nice cushy position so he doesn't hear things he shoudldn't. Maybe buy him a gym so he can hang around with other ex-fighters."

Jilly lowered the knife. "I knew that's what you were thinking, honey!"

Langland smiled. "You must be psychic."

Alex's eyes snapped open at a sound and he saw Kimberly fastening her bra. She bent over to pick up some blue panties and stepped into them. "Hey," he said and she looked at him and smiled.

"I'd make you breakfast but I actually kinda like you. Don't get the wrong idea though." She pulled her blue jeans on.

He got up trying to keep his side with his missing arm turned away from her. He spotted his artificial limb on the floor and walked over to pick it up and quickly attach it. Looking back up he saw Kimberly putting her cowboy shirt back on and not looking at him. Alex asked, "What wrong idea might I get?"

She looked back at him and said, "If things fall out that way I'll kill you. This won't change that. That said, thanks for everything last night...in the bar..in the alley...here." He couldn't read her expression. She had compassionate eyes but there was something else in them too.

Alex said, "What makes you think I wasn't just trying to get close to you? You're involved in this somehow. Maybe I was just trying to hedge my bets."

Kimberly came over and handed his shirt to him. He cursed to himself as his prosthetic arm got tangled. Kimberly looked away from him again. She said. "I don't think you'd say that if you were trying to play me. I think if you analyzed how you've acted with me you'd wanna hide in embarrassment because it's so far from what you think you are and everybody else thinks you are."

Alex didn't answer. She was right. He just seemed to be a different person around her. He pulled his underwear and pants on.

She continued, just watching him. "Nice butt, Alex, speaking of which, but you're no Hercules either. Langland wouldn't want you as his errand boy if you had anything resembling scruples regularly. Maybe I remind you of your first girlfriend or something."

Alex looked at her. She said, "Hope I don't have to kill you, Alex. I really do. If you're on the wrong side when the shit hits the fan...well, Alex..stay out of my way."

"Are you trying to scare me?" he said. He remembered how easily she had overpowered him the previous night. It had reminded him of when Jilly had been appearing and disappearing ghostlike on the wharf.

Kimberly shook her head as she checked the clip in her pistol. She had a Beretta like Jilly but it looked like a 9 mm instead of the small one Jilly carried. "Trying to help you, Alex. Like last night when you thought I needed help. What I said before still applies. You're out of your league and should get out now."

"Jilly's already given me a new assignment for Langland. It's too late."

Kimberly looked at him sadly, took her platinum flask from a pocket and took a swig.

Langland glanced down at his beeper then took a cell phone from his pocket. "Yeah?"

"Mr. Langland, this is Charlie. I wanted to let you know that Paulie's in the hospital."

Langland stopped breathing. He said, "What's he doing in the hospital?"

"He just keeled over. Paramedics said it looked like a stroke. Mr. Langland..Mr. Langland?"

"Thanks for calling me, Charlie. Have you called Jilly."

"Yes, sir. Called her first. I know how she feels about Paulie. She didn't say nothing though about it. Just said I should call you."

"Thanks, Charlie. Charlie...goodby." Langland's hand was shaking and he looked around. He was in the open. She could be anywhere with a sniper rifle though she'd probably want to be a lot more hands on with him. Langland analyzed it even as he knew a chakram could take his head off any second. This would be the last straw. From her point of view he'd finally crossed the line. Like Thermopylae. She was King Leonidas, Paulie was her loyal soldier dying where he stood in rank, and Langland had finally revealed himself as the Greek who showed the Persians the way over the mountain so they could attack the Spartans in the pass from both sides. Jilly still loved him. Wouldn't matter. He'd finally gone too far. He began walking over to where his Corvette was parked. He was completely innocent here. Kind of ironic really. He'd orchestrated wars for profit; created famines merely as diversions; loosed plagues on populations to test theories; acquired power and wealth beyond what his most paranoid enemies imagined; and he was going to lose it all because an aging punchy hood with high cholesterol had one plate too many of spaghetti. Too bad Kimberly and Cal weren't here. They'd love to watch.

He knew it was useless but he had a role to play and dialed the restaurant. Jilly picked up. Langland said, "I had nothing to do with Paulie. Why would I? I told you what I'd do."

Her voice came purring back at him and he felt sweat break out on his upper lip. "Sure, honey. I know you'd never lie to me. You'd never do something like that when I told you not to. Well, there was that one time, and that other time, and when we were in Moscow when it was so cold. I can't count when you killed Falconi since I'd never specifically asked you not to jam an icepick in his ear. That was when you popped my cherry. You figured I wouldn't avenge Uncle Jimmy, or let my parents, since I cared so much for you."

Langland took a handkerchief and dabbed at his upper lip. "Jilly. You know I love you. Look at what we've been through together. Listen to me. Poisoning Paulie would be stupid. When have I ever done anything stupid? I'm not stupid; I'm evil. Ask anybody."

"Sure, honey. I know. You wouldn't think you could get me to accept anything no matter what. That I was so much dumber than you that you could train me like a dog. Well, that one time, I guess; and those other times. Couple of people have called me that now that I think of it. Your dog. Your bitch. Hmmm. Your boy Krycek you like so much called me that when we saw him on the wharf. Why don't you come by the restaurant and I'll fix you up something extra special. Gotta go, later honey."

"Jilly!" Langland said but heard a click.

Langland looked at the man who had come up beside him. They were meeting in a busy zoo. Jilly probably wouldn't come after him in a public place full of families and kids. She wasn't like him.

"Hello, Ahmat. What do you think of Jilly?" he asked.

The man said, "Fast, dangerous, possibly delusional. Old school weapons master. Scary bitch."

Langland said, "That 'bitch' is my wife." The man shrugged. Langland studied him. "You aren't afraid of me and you aren't afraid of Jilly. You took out those Israelis and made everybody think it was Jilly. Bonwazi got what he wanted and nobody knows he carved his way to it."

"This going somewhere?" the man asked and looked down at Langland. He was just under six feet tall and had dark curly hair and a thick mustache. He had a slight Indian accent but with something English about it as well.

Langland said, "Me and Jilly had a misunderstanding. I want to work it out but I want you to keep me alive in the meantime. Oh, by the way, do you know Ares?"

"Who's that?" the man said.

"Just somebody. Far as I know he's not involved in this but you're his kinda boy. Just thought I'd ask."

The man shrugged and then said, "Hundred-thousand up front. We'll take it from there."

Langland smiled and shook his head slightly and the man frowned. Langland said, "You don't know Jilly as well as you think. I'll give you twenty-million dollars to keep me alive six months. Probably be over a lot sooner but that allows time for variables. If she kills me you get nothing. You'll probably be dead too though so it won't matter to you."

"Twenty-million dollars? Why not go in a bunker somewhere in Central America if you've got that kind of money?"

Langland said, "Because I've got business to transact and she'd just come and kill everybody in it with a Ginsu knife before she ran me through a sausage machine anyway. That's why. Unless I somehow made it really impregnable. Then she'd just drop an atomic bomb on me. She's got money too."

"You're serious?" Ahmat said.

Langland nodded.

The man glanced away then back at Langland. "Why don't I just kill her?"

Langland looked down a moment and in a low voice said. "She hasn't tried to seriously kill me yet. Just made laughable attempts, trying to unnerve me. Showing contempt, I suppose. This is all just a misunderstanding, Ahmat. If there is absolutely no other way you can go after her but not before. That's the deal."

Ahmat sighed. "I understand. I've got an ex-wife myself. It's crazy but I still think...maybe. And she DID try to kill me. Course, she was no Jilly."

Langland looked at him with surprise. "That's exactly right. I hope she doesn't seriously try to kil me. If this works out like I want, you'll have twenty-million dollars and I'll be with Jilly. Everybody will be happy."

Ahmat said, "But you don't expect that. You expect her to come after you."

Langland nodded. "You'll probably earn your pay, Ahmat. Oh, Ahmat, I know you're a great fighter...but don't assume you can beat Jilly one on one."

Ahmat said with irritation, "What makes you say that?"

Langland wasn't worried about Ahmat killing him. The man was a complete professional and wouldn't kill someone for annoying him. Not like Jilly sometimes did. "You shot those mercenaries in Namibia, Ahmat. That was Jilly's only problem with being blamed for that. It made it look like she was slipping."

Ahmat frowned again then glanced around. His hand flicked out in front of Langland's face. The smaller man saw he had caught a small dart. Langland followed Ahmat's gaze and saw her just smiling at him. Jilly disappeared into the crowd. Ahmat smelled the dart, recognizing the scent of curare.

"See, Ahmat. That's what I mean. Fooling around." Langland said.

Alex opened his door. "Jilly..." Her eyes were kinda scary looking and she was smiling in that crazy way again.

"Can I come in, Alex?" she said as she stepped past him. Alex closed the door and looked at her.

"I'm flying to Taiwan, tomorrow, Jilly. What do you need?" he asked.

The slender blonde woman was weaving a little bit, Alex saw. "Oh, you're leaving the country are you? That's convenient. You carry out another little job for Langland he gave you personally?"

Krycek was frightened. He said, "No. What kind of job?"

Jilly said, "Like slipping something in Paulie's food that Langland gave you. Something like that, Alex? You don't like him anyway."

"If something happened to Paulie it wasn't me," Alex said. He remembered those crime scene photographs again. He thought of how Kimberly had overpowered him like a child. She said she wasn't as good as Jilly.

Jilly was trying to control herself. Langland had probably used Alex Krycek to get to Paulie but she wasn't sure. And she remembered what he said about something going on with Krycek. Jilly didn't want to anger any of the gods either. If she discovered for sure Krycek poisoned Paulie she'd skin him alive but not before.

Alex was afraid he was going to die. Jilly looked out of her mind as she just stared at him. Before he knew what was happening he fell to his knees and held his stomach. He looked up and she kicked him in the face like he had Paulie. Then she grabbed his prosthetic arm, wrenched it off, and stood looking down at him with that demented smile. Alex lunged at her but she actually jumped over to land behind him, then kicked him again. Krycek found himself on his back with Jilly standing over him.

Jilly pointed his own hand at him and said, "Have a good time in Taiwan, Alex. You might as well go ahead and carry out that assignment. When you get back things will probably be changed around here. If I find out it was you who did that to Paulie, wherever you are, I'll find you. Not coming back won't do you any good."

She tossed his arm contemptuously aside and left, slamming the door behind her.

"Oh, hello, Alex. I'm pleased to see Jilly hasn't eviscerated you."

Krycek was nervously looking around. He had been watching one of Langland's office buildings that he knew he visited frequently. Instead of his Corvette he emerged from a massive limousine with tinted windows. Alex recognized an armored vehicle when he saw one. It could probably take a shell from a tank. Alex approached him. The driver got out and watched. Alex had never seen him before. He was about the same height as he was but built heavier and had a Middle Eastern look.

"She thinks I poisoned Paulie for you! The only reason I'm alive is she isn't a hundred percent sure," Alex said, trying to remain calm. He looked at the driver. That bodyguard meant he couldn't do what he had intended. "She said I should just go to Taiwan and do that job and when I got back everything would be different."

Langland was listening to Krycek with a slight smile. Even as stressed as Langland felt and as much as he missed Jilly, he could still appreciate Krycek. He was electric in his fear for his life. He had half expected him to try to capture or kill him and hand him over to Jilly. He may have aborted that plan when he saw Ahmat, demonstrating his quick wits once again. Langland still felt something else was happening with Krycek, something Alex himself couldn't hope to understand. There was something slightly different about him. Not just his fear.

"Well, then that's what you should do, Alex. She'll be angry if you don't since she told you to, and getting her angry isn't something you probably want. As you've surmised, Jilly and I have had a falling out about Paulie's unfortunate condition. When you return there may very well only be one of us. I'd advise you to hope it's me. If she succeeds in killing me you may be next whether she is sure you killed Paulie or not. You remind her of me a bit."

"For Christ's sake! Why did you poison Paulie?" Alex said furiously. He heard a chuckle and looked over at the new bodyguard. "What's so funny?" The bodyguard shrugged.

Langland said reassuringly, "Alex, I didn't do anything. She just thinks I did; and if I had you're exactly who I would have used. An unfortunate misunderstanding and I'm sorry you are getting caught in the middle of it. You and I are both innocent victims of circumstance. Where's the justice, right, Alex?" He said the last with a sardonic twist. Obviously they both deserved anything that happened to them from most people's point of view.

Krycek was listening closely, furious and frightened. If he had taken Kimberly's advice he wouldn't be in this predicament now. He looked over at that bodyguard again. He'd like to go kick his ass like he had Paulie but he knew not to try. The man chuckled again seeing the look. Alex looked back at Langland, considered mentioning Kimberly but changed his mind. She at least seemed to genuinely like him even if she did say that she'd kill him if need be. He was just a tool to Langland.

"All right. I'll head to Taiwan and take care of that business." Alex said.

"That's a good boy," Langland said and patted his shoulder. He continued into the building, the bodyguard beside him. Alex watched them then quickly walked off.

Stepping out of her office Jilly sensed something. She began scanning the room. Good dinner crowd for a week night. She caught movement from her peripheral vision and knew those two had been watching her but looked away when she glanced their direction. She held a hand up and the girl on the register came over to her.

"Veronica, who are those two at table five? Did they have a reservation?"

"No reservation. They waited thirty minutes, and somebody canceled," she answered. Her voice was quiet. She was Paulie's niece. Jilly had told her to take the night off but she said she'd feel better with something to do. "They haven't ordered yet," she added.

"Thanks," Jilly said and patted her arm. She began going from table to table like always. When she saw the waitress approach them she worked near. They were trying to watch her but be sly about it. It had been a while since she'd killed some cops. Might be about time.

"I'll just have the spaghetti," Mulder said.

Jilly was proud of her waitress for not rolling her eyes. She walked up and said, "Can I make a suggestion? As long as you're here you oughta get something other than just spaghetti."

Mulder and Scully looked up. There she was. Scully said, "Please."

"Bring 'em that antepasto was working on earlier. Then the calimari in white sauce for him and the Milanese eggplant for her. Get the '65 red. Bring the salads now." The waitress wrote it all down and walked off. Jilly took a seat and studied them.

"Um, thanks for ordering for us," Mulder said. He was remembering Big Sal and his men.

"Which are you? Local, FBI, Treasury Department?" Jilly finally said as the salads and bread arrived.

"What are you talking about?" Scully said gamely. Jilly smiled at her and Scully felt a shiver.

"FBI," Mulder said, taking a bite of his salad. Scully looked at him then back at the blonde woman and nodded.

"What do you want? You're welcome in my restaurant but I get the feeling food isn't really why you're here." Jilly spoke lightly and smiled sweetly.

Mulder said, "What is Alex Krycek doing for Langland?"

A peculiar light came into her brown eyes. She said, "Now that's a pretty good question. I wouldn't mind an answer to that myself." She stood up. "Enjoy your meal, Fox, Dana."

Scully said, "Your mother came to see me."

Jilly had been turning away but she froze and turned back. "My mother is dead."

"She was killed in Persia at the Last Stand of the Sword of Ares. You warned her it was a trap but she went in anyway, destroyed by her own arrogant pride," Scully continued. She was carefully watching the woman. She wouldn't characterize her as completly psychotic like Mulder thought. But she was definitely not the poster child for mental health either.

Jilly said, "No, as a matter of fact she survived that. She was killed later in Greece. She committed suicide by charging a bunch of Athenian lancers in the combined force the city states sent after her under Xena. They don't realize it was her because her abilities had deteriorated so far by that point. She was only a good general and great fighter. A shadow of what she was when we were teaching the barbarians what blood meant."

Mulder said, "You mean barbarians like the Chinese who invented printing."

Jilly looked at him. "That's right. Like them."

"Can we go to your office and talk?" Scully said.

Jilly sat back down and said, "No. Your meals are coming. What did my mother say to you?"

Mulder and Scully both noted how wide her eyes had gotten and that she seemed to weave a little. Janice Covington had essentially warned them against coming to see Jilly but they'd ignored it. They were federal agents after all. They'd like nothing better than to arrest her for any of the numerous murders they were sure she had committed for Langland.

Scully said, "She knew we were investigating Krycek and Langland and thought we probably wanted to talk to her. She said she was your mother. However, she wasn't old enough. She wasn't really the Sword of Ares anymore than you are really Jilly the Butcher."

Jilly reached a hand out and grabbed Scully's arm. "Describe her to me."

Scully met her gaze. "About five ten, dark hair, blue eyes."

Jilly released her and pointed to her own wrist.

Scully said, "She had a bracelet of blonde hair."

"Anything else?"

"She was drinking at eight in the morning."

Jilly nodded and stood up. She looked at the two agents with a wide smile. "If you expect answers from me, you've come to the wrong place. I dunno what she's doing here or why she would contact you and not me. If I did know I wouldn't tell a couple of feds who wanna put me in the electric chair. I have nothing to tell you about Krycek. That's your job. Word of advice: watch for crossfire, agents. Enjoy your meal." She walked off and began going to other tables asking if everything was okay.

Jilly was sitting on a bench in the park. She had stale bread crumbs from the restaurant and was tossing them to pigeons. She looked up and saw him, as he knew she would. She nodded and he approached her and sat beside her. Jilly held the bag up and he reached in and took a handful of bread crumbs and began tossing them to the pigeons.

"You're Ahmat," she said. He looked good, dressed in an expensive jogging suit. Lots of places for weapons. "What's up? Here to sell your boss to me or to kill me?"

Ahmat shook his head. "Now that's not a very nice thing to say first off. Langland just wants me to keep him alive. He says this is a misunderstanding. Why don't you believe him?"

Jilly looked at the big man beside her. "What the hell kind of killer are you?"

Ahmat shrugged. "I help people out with problems. I'll have earned my pay if I can get you to just believe him. People have strokes all the time."

The blonde woman said coldly, "You don't know him. He's playing you like he plays everybody. I just never believed he was also playing me. No matter how many times my parents or whoever told me I wouldn't believe 'em. Look, Ahmat, tough guys like you and me; Langland uses us, tricks us, and discards us when we're no more use."

Ahmat said, "Me maybe, not you. He wants you back. He doesn't want me to kill you unless there's no other way to save him. I have a feeling he'll try to stop me even if it is the only way. He's miserable over there."

Jilly stared at the pigeons again. She stayed alert in case he was just trying to put her off her guard. She said, "I know he misses me. I know he loves me, as much as he's capable of. He went too far. I told him not to hurt Paulie. He thought I'd let him get away with it like before. Like when I asked him to keep his nose clean while I was in Greece. When I came back he'd bankrolled something like five insurrections, destabilized the world economy, and killed God knows how many people. Ya'know why he said he did it?"

"Why?" Ahmat said.

"He was bored." She paused then said grimly, "But this was different. This was one of MY people; somebody who took care of me and my brother. Langland figured he could sweet talk me like before. He doesn't understand the difference. He's got no loyalty so why should anyone else? You must have been a soldier, right?"

Ahmat nodded.

She studied him. "Do you understand what I'm saying or are you just such a ratfuck mercenary you'd sell your own men out?"

Ahmat sighed, "Usually it's not as black and white as that. Captains are scheming, men are being bribed, you have to be flexible. I've never sold out completely in the way you mean."

Jilly said, "You asked why I don't believe him. I've heard him say maybe fifty times over the years that so and so was sloppy, was stupid, was a traitor who just didn't know it yet. And sure enough, pretty soon they caught pneumonia, or they had a heart attack, or were in car crash, or their horse kicked 'em in the head even though they were experienced horsemen. I carried out six or seven myself for him. So when he says Paulie is on the verge of being a liability and he suddenly has a stroke; yeah, I'm skeptical."

Jilly stood up and emptied out the rest of the bread crumbs. "Just don't pin all your hopes to Langland, Ahmat. I'm gonna kill him. But if you somehow stop me, remember what I told you when he gives you that warm smile of his, looks in your eyes, and sticks a shiv in your gut."

"I will," Ahmat said to her back as she walked away. He considered killing her now but knew she was ready for him.

Langland was at his desk in the penthouse reading a journal on Biochemical Engineering. Ahmat was sitting on the other side of the room doing a crossword puzzle. He set it aside and stood up. Langland looked at him. His intercom buzzed.

"Mr. Langland, there is someone to see you."

Langland said, "Who is it?"

"She says she's your mother-in-law...sir...sir"

Langland glanced at Ahmat and said, "Ask her to come in."

The office door opened and Langland watched Kimberly amble in wearing jeans, cowboy boots and a motorcycle jacket. In the old days she never would have been seen dead like that. She used to be a real clothes horse. Well, she was dead he thought.

"Small world, Kimberly," Langland said.

Kimberly smiled thinly at him but her real attention was on the other man in the room. He was watching her the same way. "Langland," she said. "You finally went too far. Surprises me. You'e not stupid; you're evil."

"I wish you'd tell Jilly that. I'm innocent..." he paused as Kimberly made a derisive snorting sound. "...of Paulie's condition. He just coincidentally had his stroke right after I had made comment to Jilly that he might become a problem. She jumped to conclusions."

Kimberly was listening to him and broke out in a wide grin. "I believe you, Langland. She can make her own decisions. Jilly tell you Paulie used to crawl around with her on his back like a horse? He'd take her out for ice cream a lot too."

Langland nodded tiredly. "The ice cream. I didn't know about the other. Somewhat surreal considering who they were. What are you doing here, Kimberly?"

"Tell you the truth, fuckhead, I'm not sure. Hades uses me for situations that require a little more finesse than Helms can muster. Could be he just sent me here to enjoy myself watching Jilly make you into swiss steak."

"I'd have thought you would have toned down somewhat in your feelings about me, Kimberly. Wasn't what Weldon did to me enough? " Langland said resignedly.

"Nothing could ever be enough for what you did to Siegfried! But that was then. I'm happy to see you get yours for what I've seen you do here." She turned and approached the bodyguard. "Who are you?"

"Ahmat," he said simply.

She saw what he was looking at. Kimberly held her wrist up with the bracelet of Callisto's hair.

"You modeled yourself on terrible Kushranhara?" There was something in his voice.

Kimberly heard Langland chuckle. She said, "Kushranhara wasn't so terrible. No worse than anyone else back then."

Ahmat said, "The village I'm from is near an ancient river. Before Kushranhara it was a place of life where the women went to wash their clothes and gossip. After her our village became famous for its warriors because we saw what being peaceful had brought us. Kushranhara and her murdering bandits were carving a swath through our land. The rajah refused to pay her tribute and the people all supported him taking pride in his bravery. The armies met at the river, the rajah personally leading although he was only a boy."

Langland watched Kimberly with interest. She had gone pale.

Ahmat continued, "Now I understand it, of course. Our men were just soldiers in a peaceful land. Most had probably never been in a real battle and since they outnumbered the enemy, were proud and confident. The boy rajah had said after he defeated Kushranhara he was sure he could convince her to be righteous and he intended to release her. He saw women washing clothes in the river and said he would clean her soul the same way."

Kimberly said in a hoarse whisper, "He said that, huh? Nice kid. Lotta class. Lotta heart."

Langland said easily, "Too bad he never got to grow up, right? Who knows? Maybe he could've been some great philosopher king who averted the bloodshed of the next three thousand years."

Ahmat stopped talking not understanding exactly what was going on. He had simply been relating some local history since he was offended. Her bracelet of yellow hair meant to him what a swastika would've meant to someone else. He'd asked to be sure she wasn't wearing it for some other reason. Kimberly seemed petrified and Langland seemed amused.

"Go on, Ahmat...please. I need to hear this." Kimberly said. Langland nodded at him.

He continued, "The armies met. The rajah's army simply showed up. Neither he nor his advisors really knew anything about tactics. Not like Kushranhara who had been fighting continuously for years and almost seemed to have studied Clausewitz and Bonaparte..." he paused as he heard Kimberly sharply draw in breath. "So of course she hit them in their flanks which turned them into headless chickens since they were inexperienced, and separated them into nice easily digestible parts. The story is that bodies were piled as high as the roofs in the village. I doubt that, though if Kushranhara wanted to make a point, I suppose it's possible."

"It wasn't Kushranhara," Kimberly said. "It was Jilly...or maybe Weldon. They came riding up grinning at me, crazy with blood the way you get...and Weldon thought you could stack fifteen bodies right on top of another without 'em falling over, and Jilly said 'no way, nine tops.' So I said I'd split the difference and would take eleven...being the leader, you know..keeping them happy. I won. The pile fell over when it was twelve high. Jilly noticed how upset the prisoners were by it so she and Weldon made another pile that was wide enough to just stay there. The more feared I was the less likely people were to defy me. That's why I let Jilly do it. It was right by the river bank and turned the water red. They made the prisoners pile 'em up. If one started giving them lip Weldon or Jilly would kill him and add him to the pile."

Ahmat didn't say anything. He'd dealt with madness before.

Langland had his soft smile and said, "What was terrible Kushranhara doing all this time?"

Kimberly looked at him. "I told 'em to stop it since I never killed people unless I had to. Pile up the dead but don't hurt anybody else.

Langland chuckled again. "A real humanitarian. Kushranhara had to attack them when they didn't pay her tribute. No choice. She was the true victim, when you think of it."

She paused again then said to Ahmat, "I wanted to know where their general was. A prisoner told me the rajah himself had led them. I laughed and said that was a demonstration of what was wrong with hereditary monarchies. So I had a couple of men ride off with orders to bring the rajah. I was talking to some prisoners about where the treasury was when my men came riding back up and just threw this body at my feet. Jilly came walking up just then and said 'I wondered where that was.' I hadn't spotted it but the very outside edge of her chakram was visibe in the boy's abdomen. He was naked of course. Everything a rajah wore was valuable so my men had stripped him. He'd just hit puberty, I guess. Little hair on his body, but not much. Jilly yanked her chakram out and it spilled his guts all over."

Ahmat said quietly, "What did you say?"

Kimberly looked at the floor, quiet for a moment then answered, "Watch it, Jilly. You almost got some on me." She looked back at Ahmat. "I'm sorry. It was a beautiful place. I remember that." She walked to the office door.

Langland said to her, "Hope you enjoy watching Jilly give me what I deserve, Kimberly. Everybody should get what they deserve."

She stopped but didn't turn around, then opened the door and left.

Ahmat said, "Is she mad or playing a role?"

"Neither," Langland said. "You can't believe this but she is Kushranhara. I have no way to prove it to you though. So you have to wonder if I'm mad or playing a role."

Ahmat looked at him and shook his head. Then he sat down and returned to his crossword puzzle.

Alex Krycek was just stepping out his apartment. He carried a small bag, liking to travel light. Whatever he needed he would get in Taiwan. Sensing something, he looked down his hallway saw a shape on the floor by the elevator, drew his gun and walked to investigate. Then he put his gun away and knelt down.

"Kimberly...Kimberly...can you hear me?" He sat her up and an empty 750 ml bottle of whiskey clunked out of her clothes. Alex was glad the smoking man wasn't here. His cigarette would ignite her breath.

She mumbled, "Kushranhara...no worse than anybody else..." Kimberly half opened her eyes to look at him and smiled a little. "My...knight in shining.." her voice trailed off.

Krycek frowned then said, "Yeah, that's me."

He managed to get her standing and half dragged her to his apartment, propped her up as he opened his door and brought her inside and deposited her on his couch. Krycek studied her a second then called the airline to cancel his flight.

Their chief had instructed them to bring him Krycek, who had been seen with Langland. He'd taken a drag on his Morley and looked at them like they were idiots to still be standing there. There were three of them. They'd gotten a key to his apartment by flashing a badge at the manager.

"Who the fuck are you?"

A big brunette in a white bathrobe was looking at them.

"Federal agents. Where is the man who lives here?"

"Federal agents don't come sneaking in that way. Take your pencil dick friends and get lost."

"Where is Alex Krycek?" the senior operative said, angrily. He didn't feel like taking crap from some bimbo Krycek was shacked up with.

The woman studied them then said, "You aren't from Langland OR Jilly. You work for that walking advertisement for lung cancer Langland has dancing around like an organ grinder's monkey. If you don't want your own organ in a grinder I'd advise you to take Shemp and Larry here and go right back out that door."

"You're coming with us," the agent said, and nodded his head at the others who began moving toward her.

"Alex has really gotta start associating with a better class of people," the woman said mildly. When the men approached her she pivoted and kicked both of them in the face dropping them. Their leader drew his gun then felt a sharp pain in his wrist and the woman was holding his own gun on him. The other agents were groggily getting up. She quickly went to them and took their guns, putting them in the pockets of the robe.

At that moment the door opened again and Alex Krycek stepped in with a bag groceries which he just dropped.

"You just bought yourself a mess of trouble," one of the men she kicked said to Kimberly.

"Lemme tell you something; I'm not the person to threaten that way." She just casually fired the gun and the man cried out and fell holding his thigh.

"Hello, Wilson. I see you met my friend," Alex said.

She said, "Do you wanna call the cops? Phone's right there. Tell THEM how you're federal agents. Your boss'll be happy to come bail you out. He'll just be glad you're safe and sound, I'm sure."

Wilson licked his lips nervously and said "Tell her to put the gun down."

Alex looked at Kimberly and at the man moaning on the floor. "I think I used up my cards for telling her what to do. An unarmed woman in a bathrobe took the guns from three armed operatives and wounded one for being stupid. Have fun explaining that. Get out."

Wilson said, "Krycek, you're only making it worse for yourself."

Alex snarled and grabbed his own gun from where it was concealed in his waistband. Wilson mouthed the word NO and barely raised his hands pathetically as Krycek slashed down with the pistol across his face, knocking him to the floor where he cowered. All the fear and rage and anger that he had been feeling because of Langland and Jilly just exploded out of him. He struck him twice more with the gun, then Krycek viciously kicked the man several times as he moaned. Breathing hard he stopped and looked at Kimberly who was just watching him and at the other two fearful men. Alex turned Wilson over with his foot. He studied him.

"Alex!" Kimberly said sharply. He looked at her with his sweaty enraged face then back down at Wilson and kicked him in the side once more.

"Take him and get out," he ordered the two other men. They quickly obeyed, the one with the wounded leg grunting in pain as he helped pick up Wilson's bloody figure.

When the door closed he put his gun back in his waistband and said to Kimberly, "The shot wasn't too loud." He looked at the bloodstained carpet. "We can just cover that if the cops come by before we can clean it up. Glad you finally woke up. How do you feel?"

"Like hell," Kimberly answered and sat down heavily, putting the agents' guns on the coffee table. "Did you undress me last?"

"Yeah," Krycek said.

She nodded and said, "Thanks. I hate waking up in my clothes. How'd I get here?"

"I found you out in the hall doing your street derelict impression."

Kimberly grimaced. "I must like you more than I realized."

"Who's Kushranhara?" Alex asked. She stared at him, then shook her head and looked away.

Alex said, "I have to go to Taiwan. This is one more good reason. Come with me."

Kimberly smiled at him. "That's not a very good idea. You're carrying out an assignment for Langland. I might break your concentration. Screwing up a job for him isn't healthy. Besides the fact, I might get it in my head to sabotage whatever you're doing."

He started to say something but stopped as she held a hand up. "Don't explain, Alex. Maybe it's not so bad this time...maybe it is. I don't wanna see you doing what I can't stomach. It'll happen sooner or later. I'd rather it be later."

He sat beside her and put his good arm around her shoulders and Kimberly leaned into him. She'd taken a shower and he kissed her clean wet hair.

"Okay, Kimberly."

"Can I stay here while you're gone?" she said.

"They'll be back," Alex said, indicating the guns.

"I'm counting on it," she murmured. "I need something to do."

"Kimberly," Alex said softly. She looked up at him. "Do you want me to change?"

She reached a hand up to stroke his cheek and said, "No, Alex. You can't change. I've known plenty of guys like you. I was watching you give it to

Wilson there. I like you just the way you are."

He looked in those amazing blue eyes. "Okay, Kimberly."

"Scully..."

"Mulder, if you say one more time that was the best meal you've ever had, I'll scream. Can we just concede it was good food and please move on," Scully said in exasperation.

Her partner looked askance at her. "Whoa, sorry, there. Little defensive aren't we? I didn't mean to insult YOUR cooking. You don't have to be insecure in your femininity."

Scully looked up at his smart ass face. "Mulder, I am not insecure in my femininity and what the hell do you know about whether I can cook or not? And for the record, being a mentally unbalanced professional killer isn't exactly classically feminine either."

Fox smiled and said, "I know, Scully. I'm just trying to get your goat. It's only that that food was..."

"Will you DROP it with the food already?" Scully exploded. She had gone home and tried to recreate the antepasto and wound up feeding it to her dog. Scully bought an eggplant too and located a recipe, but she hadn't attempted it. The vegetable just sat on her counter, mocking her with its smug shiny surface as if it was saying, You?

Mulder looked away pouting. She said, "Maybe, I am a little insecure about my cooking."

"You make good fudge. I remember that, Scully."

"God, Mulder. Can we just drop it?"

Mulder smiled, tiring of baiting her, and said, "I called a detective in the Organized Crime Unit here. I told him Jilly Snopes said we should watch for crossfire."

"And?" Scully said.

"And, he said that was good advice. It's a strange situation. Apparently Langland and Jilly are trying to kill each other. Maybe that would explain that remark she made about Krycek, Scully. Anyway, they aren't trying to kill each other's people, but it looks like Langland's enemies think this is their chance to make their move. Problem is, according to my detective, that Langland isn't even really involved in local crime. It's peanuts to him."

Scully was listening, analyzing what he was saying. She said, "Jilly."

Mulder nodded, "Yep. These guys who think it's a disorganized operation ripe for taking, are actually moving on Jilly the Butcher. She provides protection or something for all these numbers parlors, drug dealers, etc. A shipment of cocaine got jacked. There's some cute new crime scene photos, Scully."

Scully said "What about Professor Moriarty?"

"Well, somebody tried to blow him up." Mulder explained.

"Jilly," Scully said.

"You'd think though it's not her style from what I know. But the next day the head of a big European chemical consortium and his security chief were decapitated. There were several other unexplained murders that same day of company security personnel. Langland acquired 51% of the consortium at that same time."

"Sounds like James Bond stuff," Scully said.

"My detective said Langland has a new bodyguard they can't identify but he was nowhere to be seen during the European incident. I called Kersh. He's really into it, Scully; wants to nail Langland and is glad to see me chasing crooks instead of spooks. He got back to me. The bodyguard is this man of mystery from India or Pakistan. Langland got himself a new Jilly, it looks like."

"Maybe this isn't really our kind of thing, Mulder. If it's international we should hand it off to Interpol," Scully said.

"You're forgetting that I really am chasing spooks here, Scully. But Kersh doesn't want to hand it off. He wants the Bureau to nail 'em. So does the director apparently."

"Congratulations, Mulder. We can all be obsessive together."

He smiled, "Not you, Scully. You can keep us all grounded."

She nodded but was really thinking about the eggplant on her kitchen table. Waiting for her. Laughing at her.

"We have a new player it seems. Krycek has forged a new alliance." The speaker paused and drew on his cigarette. He was speaking to a room full of older white men in gray suits.

A heavyset man said, "Krycek is nothing but an operative. Now he is even less: just a criminal working for another criminal. How does that concern us?"

Taking another drag, the man said, "As I've been telling you for years now, Langland is more than a criminal. Perhaps much, much more. But I'm not speaking of Langland now. A woman was seen in Krycek's apartment who may represent other forces."

An older man said, "We've all heard your paranoid theories about Langland. Perhaps that is where Mulder gets it."

The cigarette smoking man looked coldly at him. "As you know full well, Mulder's theories are anything but paranoid."

The heavy man spoke. "So Krycek has betrayed Langland to another criminal. Again, so what? It's probably that Snopes woman. A simple gang war. You are wasting our time. If we had listened to you years ago we would have pursued Langland instead of uncovering the colonization plans."

The smoking man looked down at his cigarette. "Yes, the colonization plan. So frightening, so terrible that it supercedes everything else and makes Langland, or anything, of secondary importance."

The well dressed man said, "He's babbling again that it could all be a hoax. He is as obsessed with Langland as Mulder is with little green men. Pathetic."

The heavy man said, "We will tell you again: Do your job as we tell you, killer, or we will find someone who can. Don't waste resources on Langland or some other unimportant criminals. Do you understand?"

"I understand all of you well enough."

"I'll take that as a yes. Don't waste our time again on this nonsense" the well dressed man said coldly. He looked around. "This meeting is over."

It was 3:20 AM. Mulder had his Glock ready and Scully her Walther PPK as they quietly slipped into Krycek's apartment. The buiding manager had given them peculiar looks when they showed him their identification and they got the key from him. This wasn't strictly legal but Krycek wasn't any normal suspect. Mulder knew that Scully was right: he did have a hard on for Krycek; and she wanted a piece of him herself. They searched the darkened apartment and didn't find anything.

They put their guns away and Scully said, "Nothing, Mulder. Maybe somebody tipped him off."

At that moment the lights flipped on and a woman naked except for the big pistol she held was looking at them with cold blue eyes.

"Kimberly!" Scully said and slowly raised her hands. Mulder followed suit.

"What dya know? Real federal agents...but you didn't knock either. Tut tut, agents. Haven't you ever heard of the Constitution? Janice is right about you secret police."

"Would you like to put some clothes on?" Mulder said uncomfortably.

"Why? Is it hard for you?" she said with a sneer.

"Kimberly, the Sword of Ares never harmed prisoners," Scully said.

The woman smiled. "You think I'm some nutball you can manipulate by playing to my delusions. You should get your facts straight, Agent Scully. The Sword of Ares killed plenty of prisoners if she thought they deserved it; crucified 'em, buried 'em, skinned 'em alive if they were known for doing that kind of thing to other people."

Mulder said, "Neither I or my partner have EVER skinned anyone alive."

The woman absently scratched her pubic hair and said, "I know. You're the good guys and Krycek is the bad guy."

"Exactly!" Mulder said with relief and began to lower his hands but the naked woman gestured with the gun to keep his hands up.

"What makes you think I'm not a bad guy?" she said with a smile.

"Is that why you rode into the Athenian lancers? You didn't want to be a bad guy?" Mulder said.

The woman stared at him without expression. "Who told you that?"

"Jilly," Mulder said.

She shrugged and lowered the gun and set it down and just walked unconcernedly into the kitchen, opened a cabinet and brought a bottle out and poured a drink for herself. Scully and Mulder looked at each other.

The woman came back out and sat on the couch, took a drink, and said. "If you draw your weapons again now I'll kill you. I don't like being tricked. I'm what you call an antihero. You gotta watch characters like me. Sometimes we do all the wrong things for the best reasons and vice versa."

Scully said, "That's delusional. We are now armed and your gun is across the room. We have the upper hand."

Kimberly took a drink and said, "Really? Why don't you draw your weapon, Agent Scully. Just know it's the last thing you or your partner are ever gonna do."

Scully looked like she was going to call her bluff so Mulder said, "We believe you. Don't anger the great warlord, Scully. She is being merciful."

Kimberly was taking a drink and coughed. She said angrily, "Cut out that bullshit! What are you doin' busting in?"

Scully decided Mulder was right. There was no reason to confront her delusions yet. Scully said, "We're looking for Alex Krycek."

"Why?"

"He is wanted in conjunction with a number of crimes going back years, including murder," Mulder said. Then added, "He may have killed my father."

"He didn't pull the trigger but he was a party to my sister's death," Scully said.

Kimberly sighed and drained her drink. She got up and wandered back to the kitchen. Mulder couldn't help but look at her ass. He winced as Scully slugged him in the arm.

Instead of pouring herself another drink she seemed to just be looking at the bottle. Mulder looked at Scully and they both walked over.

Kimberly looked down at her naked body and back at the agents. "I used to be really uptight. Being a rich WASP does that to you. Callisto and Jilly really had fun with that. Even Joxer. I mean they were all pagan Greeks and just didn't have the twisted Judeo-Christian body stuff that we do. We can try to unlearn it, but they just didn't have it at all. It made me a perfect foil. I'm glad Joxer had something like that on me. Poor guy never had the upper hand with anybody about anything else."

"I've heard of Callisto but not Joxer," Scully said, trying to draw her out.

The woman looked at her. "He was nobody. Just a bumbling idiot who people barely tolerated."

"Sounds like he was somebody to you," Mulder said.

Kimberly poured another shot and downed it. "Yeah," she said without looking at either of the agents, "Joxer was somebody to me." She brushed past them and disappeared into the bedroom.

Scully started to follow but Kimberly emerged from the bedroom in a white bathrobe, sat down again on the couch, just leaned back and closed her eyes. The two agents went over to her.

"He's only out for himself, a vicious killer capable of anything. Help us get him," Mulder said.

Kimberly opened her eyes and looked at him. He felt a shiver. She said, "I know that's what he is mostly. I don't know how this whole thing is gonna play out. Maybe I'll see Alex do something and I'll stop him. Maybe I'll even kill him. Or maybe I'll just go hit Langland and go into business with Jilly with Alex as a lieutenant. One thing I do know is that helping you two put him away is not on the menu. Now get lost before I call the ACLU on you for illegal entry."

Scully said, "Kimberly..." but stopped as the cold eyes turned on her. She continued, "You may have knowledge of the whereabouts of a fugitive, Alex Krycek. You're coming with us. Get dressed."

Mulder didn't saying, carefully watching the dark woman.

Kimberly said, "You read about the Sword of Ares, right? At the library?"

"No, I did a search on the net."

Kimberly looked slightly confused. "The what? Oh, wait a minute...yeah. God, that was so long ago. Agent Scully, I'm not going anywhere with you.

You should really consider what you read before you cross me."

"You aren't the Sword of Ares. That's a delusion. You need help. Knowing Krycek he's using you somehow, pretending to believe you," Scully said.

Mulder was looking nervously from one to the other. He had largely accepted Scully's interpretation. But even IF Kimberly WASN'T who she said, she still might possess the skills to go with her delusion as Jilly did. This could be a far more dangerous person than Scully seemed willing to consider.

"Scully, let's go," he said. His partner looked at him furiously.

"Smart of you," Kimberly said.

Scully lost her patience and said, "Mulder, she's a witness and is coming with us!" She reached for her gun.

Mulder said, "Don't!" just as he saw Kimberly seem to burst up off the couch in defiance of gravity and grab Scully by the throat and plant a foot in his own face. Then he didn't remember anything.

"Hail, brave one! Agent of justice and seeker of truth!"

Mulder groaned at the voice and opened his eyes. "SHIT!" He frantically scrambled away but there was a rocky wall behind him. Looking around he saw craggy mountains some of which glowed like volcanoes. It was dark but a huge bonfire nearby provided light. Scully was lying not far from where he had been. She was naked, her fair skin yellow in the fire light. Mulder didn't have anything on either. He looked in terror at who or what had been speaking to him. It was a hideous monster. An actual honest-to-God monster with lumpy, mottled, deformed looking, scaly skin and a long tail. It seemed to be on four thick crooked legs, but also had a pair of big powerful pincers. For a head, except for a pair of tusks, a relatively ordinary bald old man's face just emerged from this hideous body. It smiled up at Mulder ingratiatingly then waddled over to Scully and tickled her nose with the end of his tail.

"Get away from her!" Mulder said almost hysterically. The old face looked back at him and winked. Scully opened her eyes and screamed. She was right beside Mulder in seconds, both of them staring at this hideous apparition smiling benignly up at them.

"Hail, wise one! Your beauty and skill are only matched by your zeal!"

Mulder and Scully were flattened against the rock wall and breathing raggedly in fear. They caught each other's eyes.

Scully gulped and said, "I have to be dreaming, Mulder." She covered her breasts and crotch awkwardly.

"Certainly hope so, Scully," her partner said.

The creature turned its low slung, heavy muscular body surprisingly quickly and called out, "Master, the two watchmen are awake."

A young appearing, elegant crowned figure in black walked up. "Thank you, Helms."

"Serving you is my only joy, kind master!" the monster said and rubbed his bald head against a black clad leg.

"Mortal stupidity just continues to amaze me. You two are supposedly intelligent and competent. But then when one of the most dangerous people who's ever lived tells you if you draw a weapon on her she will kill you both, you go ahead and do it anyway. You two are lucky I got you out when I did. She was doing you both fast, getting it over with. She didn't particularly want to kill you but she had told you she would. Somebody like Kimberly has a reputation to maintain. She knows at least I'm watching her, probably Ares too...who knows who else? She can't afford to say she'll do something like that and then not do it. I'll straighten it out for you though it's not something I intend to make a habit of."

"Thanks. Who are you?" Mulder said.

Hades reached down to keep Helms from leaping at Mulder and tearing him apart. "It's all right. There's no reason he should know." The demon gnashed its teeth in fury and glared at Mulder who unconsciously pulled Scully in front of him.

"Sorry.." he said embarrassed, at the look she gave him as she jerked away.

Helms said, "Ignorant clay! This is Great Hades, Lord of Life and Death, Master of Tartartus and the Elysian Fields! Remember that!"

"Nicely said, Helms," Hades said.

"Oh, thank you, Master!" Helms said looking up at the god.

"Helms, go supervise those earthquake victims who are arriving. Judy died in one herself and might get talked into something she shouldn't."

The demon glared at Mulder again and then bounded off.

Hades looked after him and shook his head then looked back at Mulder and Scully. "Wish he was more independent. He's smart enough and even has good judgment when he's not going overboard because of his loyalty. I keep trying to give Helms more responsibility but he just can't seem to handle it. He feels terrible when he fails but it's my fault for asking too much of him.

For instilling terror or just ripping enemies to pieces he's marvelous. Well, you saw. Just now he practically frightened you to death. Both of you are still shaking and Helms didn't lay a claw on you."

Hades studied Scully and she felt new fear as she saw something come in his eyes. Against her will the hands she was using to cover herself moved to her sides and she felt completely exposed. Then Hades shook his head. "Persephone would have my godly gonads for breakfast. My brother can have a home life like that but not me," he said.

Scully opened her eyes and found herself in her own bed. She looked over at the clock and saw the alarm was close to going off so she reached over and turned it off and just got up. That was some kind of dream. She'd decide whether to share it with Mulder or not. That being naked with him...you could interpret that different ways. She went to her desk and glanced at her notes, and was disappointed to see the case was real. The entire thing wasn't some dream.

When she arrived at the office Mulder was already there with a cup of coffee. He seemed a little self-conscious when he looked at her.

"What's wrong, Mulder?" she asked.

"Nothing, Scully. Just a stupid dream."

She didn't say anything but nodded and looked away.

There was a knock on his office door which then opened up. "Excuse me."

Mulder and Scully both had sharp intakes of breath. The speaker was a bald old man who smiled ingratiatingly at them. He was short and stocky and in a gray suit and had a red tie with little hourglasses on it.

"Can I help you?" Mulder said weakly. He glanced down at Scully who was pale.

"I'm here to help you, Agent Mulder. And you, Agent Scully."

"Do we know you?" Scully asked.

The old man smiled and said, "I'm Helms. Surely I don't look that different. My kind master wants me to protect you. There are future plans for you it seems, and it wouldn't do for you to be killed by Great Kimberly, Terrible Jilly or that crafty King Langland."

"Oh," Scully said. "I thought you looked familiar but just wasn't sure."

"Nice suit," Mulder said. Helms beamed up at him.

Helms said, "I will await you outside, brave ones." The old man smiled and left their office.

Scully looked at Mulder. "Do you have any theories about this, because I would be very interested in hearing them."

"Only that I'm dreaming, Scully."

"That's what I said to you in MY dream. It sounds even worse when you say it. Mulder, I'm waiting for you to say that everything in the dream was real. That everything Jilly and Kimberly claim is real." Scully was stressed. She kept hoping for a rabbit with a watch to appear so she could be sure it was a dream.

Mulder said, "What can I say, Scully? You convinced me earlier that they were crazy. If we ignore the dream, then we can say Helms is just one more member of this cult or whatever it is. Maybe Covington hypnotized us or something."

"That old woman is your villain? God, Mulder. This is all just too much.

Even your aliens and conspiracies are better than pagan gods and their gophers running around," Scully said.

Mulder smiled. "At last. You finally appreciate me!"

Scully was frowning at the floor. She looked up. "Let's take Helms to Jilly's restaurant. Just see what happens. Stir things up."

Mulder said, "Ooo, Scully. I love it when you get wild and crazy that way."

"Shut up, Mulder."

This time they had reservations and were shown quickly to a table for three. Jilly was already on the floor in another beautiful dress. They saw her grin when they came in. She came over.

"Fox, Dana....Helms," she said. There was a glitter in her eyes when she looked at the old man.

Mulder to his amazement saw Helms seemed nervous. He said, "Hail, mistress of death and delight of Ares' heart...I bring greetings from my master."

Jilly sat down and looked at the two FBI agents. "This is unexpected. Something is definitely going on with you two. Helms here tried to kill me when I was a little girl."

"Exalted one," he said. "You know I only was serving my great lord who desired your fine spirit to reside with him."

"Yeah, I know. That's blood down the drain. Whatcha doing with a couple of cops? Moonlighting?"

Helms laughed too much at the joke as Jilly continued watching him with cold eyes. Mulder and Scully felt like she had about as much interest in them as a pair of stale breadsticks.

"Great warrior, I am here to see they come to no harm."

Jilly listened then looked back at them. She said, "Maybe Langland had it wrong. Maybe it's you two the gods are interested in and I can go ahead and flay Krycek."

"Why would you want to kill Alex Krycek?" Mulder asked.

"Like I told you, that's your job," Jilly said sweetly.

Scully said, "I'm a doctor, Ms. Snopes.."

"Call me, Jilly. So what?"

"All right, Jilly. I just wanted to tell you that Paul Cerruti's condition is anything but hopeless. I spoke to his physicians. He may have some residuals but nothing that would force him to be institutionalized."

Mulder felt the air get electric. Helms was watching Jilly closely. Fox wondered if he would just turn back into a monster if the need arose. The blonde woman's eyes had gotten wide and her pupils contracted.

"What do you know about Paulie?"

Scully was careful herself. She hadn't talked to Mulder about this. Scully had talked to the same Organized Crime detective Mulder had. The fact that someone was in the hospital for natural causes didn't strike Mulder as particularly noteworthy. Scully had investigated it though and found how far back the patient went with Jilly. "Mr. Cerruti worked for your father, Cal Snopes. From what I know the rift with Langland followed soon after Mr. Cerruti's stroke."

Jilly got to her feet. "Dana...don't spring stuff on me. It's not a safe thing to do. Sometimes I do things I regret later. Langland has twenty spare sets of dentures and six pins in him various places for that very reason."

Scully said, "I'll remember that. I wanted to tell you that there doesn't seem to be anything suspicious. I spoke to his cardiologist and neurologist and Mr. Cerruti had high risk factors for cerebrovascular accident, including his father and uncle."

"I didn't know that but it doesn't change anything. Langland always makes it look good. Thanks for your concern," Jilly said, then waved a waitress over. "Don't charge 'em. Bring 'em whatever you think is good tonight." She looked back at Helms. "You wanna talk to me alone about anything?"

The old man smiled ingratiatingly. "I cannot leave my charges, great one."

Jilly nodded and walked back to her office.

Krycek had been getting what news he could of what was going on back in the States during his time in Taiwan. He found a computer he could use to go on the net. There were gangland killings occurring but that didn't really tell him anything. If Langland were killed it would make news in the financial pages so that hadn't happened. Alex just methodically went about arranging for his target to be caught embezzling. The man was innocent apparently so it was a little tricky. Krycek was curious about the situation. This man was anything but innocent in other ways, being a regular visitor to brothels which specialized in innocent young country girls from Thailand. Alex found evidence his man had actually killed one once. It made him incredibly vulnerable but that wasn't what Langland and Jilly wanted; they wanted him nailed for embezzlement. Some arcane financial dealings, Alex assumed, and went about framing him.

As Krycek came off the loading ramp he saw a tall figure in a motorcycle jacket. He hadn't told anyone he was coming back but that she found out wasn't really surprising. He was glad to see her. Alex hadn't been with a woman, or a man, for the three weeks he had been away. There were plenty of opportunities but he found he just kept thinking of her.

Kimberly kissed him as he walked up to her. "How was your flight, honey?"

"Okay," he said with a smile. He'd left his Ferrari with her and now they began walking out to where it was parked.

"Kill who you went for?" she said lightly.

He looked at her. "I thought you didn't want to know what I was doing? And, no, as a matter of fact, I didn't kill anybody. I set up somebody who you would've done a lot worse to."

"Good for you," she said. Kimberly began going to the driver's side then tossed him the car keys and got in the passenger side.

"What's up, Kimberly?" he said as he took the sports car onto the expressway, sensing something from her manner.

"Mulder and Scully came to your apartment looking for you."

Alex digested that for a moment. "What happened?" he said.

"We talked for a while. Then I tried to kill 'em but they disappeared into thin air. Have you eaten yet? I thought we might go by Jilly's. I haven't been to see her yet; been nervous about it. Mother/daughter stuff. Maybe I can square things between you two. Assuming you didn't poison Paulie that is. I sure hope you didn't, Alex."

"What do you mean they disappeared?" Alex said tensly, then added, "I didn't do anything to Paulie except kick his ass once to set him straight."

Kimberly said, "I'm glad to hear that. I didn't think you did. I don't think Langland did it, though I understand where Jilly might think so. He'd never push her over the line that way. He's too smart. Unfortunately for him, Jilly doesn't always operate from logic. Funny as hell, I've gotta say."

"Mulder and Scully?" Alex said, though tried to keep the irritation from his voice. Kimberly was no one to piss off as he'd come to find out.

She looked over at him and smiled. "Sorry, babe. They disappeared. You're gonna see a lotta weird stuff now that you're involved with us. I can tell you what probably happened but you won't believe me."

"Try me," Alex said.

"A god took them to save them. Coulda been anybody though I'd look at Hades first since he's my boss. Even if it was someone else they'd probably clear it with him first. Nobody but Ares or Zeus would have the cajones to screw with Hades like that. Rescuing cops isn't exactly Ares' style though and Zeus has more important things to do."

Alex didn't say anything.

"Told ya," Kimberly said and chuckled.

Alex looked over at her. "Mind if we stop at my place before we go out to eat?"

"Sure, why?" she said.

Alex smiled at her.

Kimberly reached over to stroke his short brown hair, and said, "Okay, lover."

Krycek sensed something and glanced over at Kimberly who was also alert. He floored accelerator just as the shot took out the rear window.

Kimberly was looking behind them. She had her big Beretta out. "It's a white Bronco with two men. I see a rifle barrel."

Krycek nodded as he made a screeching turn and shot onto the on-ramp. The Bronco followed. The red Ferrari was going 148 miles an hour and they were leaving the Bronco behind. He said, "I'd like to know who the hell just tried to kill me."

Kimberly said, "Let'em catch up, keep moving so we don't get shot."

Alex nodded and slowed the sports car, weaving as if he had a blown tire so they wouldn't be suspicious. In the rearview mirror he saw the white Bronco gaining quickly.

"Come to mama," Kimberly said with a cold smile. She rolled her window down and the wind whipped her black hair wildly. Krycek seemed to be losing control of the car. The white Bronco was right beside them, the rifle barrel extending out the window, and then Kimberly was no longer in the Ferrari but was holding onto the side of Bronco and reaching inside. Krycek saw the rifle bouncing on the freeway in the mirror. Looking quickly he saw a splash of red on the windshield of the Bronco. A moment later Kimberly was behind the wheel. Krycek headed for an out of the way place he knew. Luckily there weren't any cars nearby to witness any of what happened.

The Bronco pulled up behind the Ferrari in a secluded spot. Alex quickly ran to it. Kimberly was holding her Beretta on two men, one of whom had a bloody head wound. Alex saw a bullet hole in the roof. Krycek opened the passenger door and dragged out the wounded man who moaned and collapsed. Then he hauled out the other man, keeping his own gun on him as Kimberly got out and came walking around. The standing man had his hands up and was licking his lips nervously. Kimberly said, "Who do you work for?" They were Latinos.

"The Puyanas," he answered. Kimberly looked at Krycek who nodded.

Alex said, "Were you after me or her?"

When he didn't answer Krycek walked over to the wounded man and put his gun in his mouth. Alex looked up.

"They know you work for Langland. Don't hurt my brother."

Krycek said, "How did you know what flight I was on."

The man answered, "We've just been watching the airport. They figured you'd be back."

Alex nodded and pulled the trigger.

"Dios Mio!" the standing man cried out and lowered his hands. Kimberly kicked and he fell moaning to the ground.

Alex came over and knelt down and held his bloody gun to the man's face.

"Alex.." Kimberly said warningly. He glanced up at her.

Krycek said, "Take us to the Puyana brothers. They owe me a new rear window for the one you shot out."

"What about my brother?" the man said fearfully.

Kimberly said, "He isn't going anywhere. Maybe you can come back later for him if you do what you're told. Come on. I'll ride with you again. Let's pay a visit to these Puyanas."

"Jesus!" Krycek said. He and Kimberly, with the man wedged between them had came to the house their prisoner said was the headquarters of the Puyanas.

The door was unlocked. Kimberly had an amused expression on her face and just casually walked inside.

The walls were covered in blood. Three heads were arranged along a counter with flowers in their teeth. The headless bodies were on stools in front of them. Six other bodies in various degrees of dismemberment were also arranged about the house as if they were playing cards, doing laundry or cleaning the bathroom.

"That's my girl," Kimberly said with a laugh.

Krycek felt queasy. Indicating the heads, Alex said to the prisoner, "Rafael, Jose and Jorge Puyana?"

The man nodded and began to shake.

Alex said, "Hey." When he looked up Alex hit him in the throat and he fell choking. "He saw me kill his brother," Alex said to Kimberly who had an inscrutable expression then nodded in the direction of the door. Kimberly and Krycek quietly made their way out of the house. They carefully wiped down the Bronco for Kimberly's fingerprints then sped away in the Ferrari.

Both Alex and Kimberly were breathing hard as they reached his apartment. Their lips were locked together as they tore off their clothes and didn't even make it to the bedroom.

Ahmat was studying Langland. He knew what was coming. It was just a matter of time. Now might be it. For weeks his genius employer had been getting more and more quiet. He'd taken to staring blankly out windows or at walls instead of corrupting foreign politicians, studying oceanographic charts, or writing articles under one pseudonym or another for one of a thousand scientific journals. Ahmat had been debating how to handle it.

Langland was sitting behind his desk looking out the thick bulletproof plate glass window. He spun around and looked at Ahmat who had put down his ever present crossword puzzle and seemed to be waiting.

"You're too smart for what you do, Ahmat. Why aren't you more ambitious?" Langland asked.

The man said, "Why should I want the headaches you have? I'm surprised you don't have ulcers."

Langland glanced away. Ahmat laughed. "I thought so. I should be like you and burn out my stomach lining with stress? I don't think so."

Langland smiled slightly, "You don't think you're in a high stress occupation?"

Ahmat said, "Not like you are. I'm not carrying the world economy and geopolitical stability, or lack of, on my shoulders. I just kill who I have to, go home and sleep like a baby...unless somebody tries to kill me. I'm a light sleeping baby."

Langland shook his head sadly. "I'm gonna pay you off, Ahmat. Want me to deposit your money somewhere or just write you a check for twenty-million dollars."

Ahmat said, "Just like that? You're going to let her kill you, just like that?"

"She won't kill me. We'll get back together," Langland said.

"Bullshit. She's kept up a steady stream of those little jokes. Bullets for me to push you out of the way off. Bombs for me to intercept. Even that ridiculous poison snake. Did she see that in a Fu Manchu movie or something?"

"Yeah. Revenge of Fu Manchu, I think," Langland said nostalgically. "Pretty funny, you've gotta admit."

"Poison snakes are no joke where I come from," Ahmat said. "You know her and you think she's going stop fooling around now. She's going to really come after you and you'd rather die than let me save you by killing her."

Langland said, "The only problem there, Ahmat, is your assumption you CAN kill her. But aside from that, you're right. I don't want to take the chance you can beat her. I can't hurt Jilly."

"She intends on killing you, probably painfully, though I doubt she'd go through with that part of it. She'll just break your neck or stab you in the heart when the time comes," Ahmat said.

Langland shrugged in response.

Ahmat stood up. "Just write me a check. I'll stick around and keep you alive. I won't go after her."

Langland was mystified. "You're a professional. You've got your money. Move on."

Ahmat studied him. "I talked to Jilly right after you hired me, Langland. Did you know that? Stupid question. Of course, you did. Anyway we talked a little about you and why she didn't believe you. Jilly says you don't understand loyalty. She knows you love her in your way but you can't understand how she feels about Paulie."

"That's ridiculous. I completely understand how she feels. That's why I hired you," Langland said with irritation.

Ahmat shook his head. "I know what she meant now. You understand in your head how she would feel. But you don't really feel it. You don't feel anything except when it comes to Jilly, and maybe science. The only reason you wouldn't kill Paulie is that Jilly told you not to. Maybe you were even going to ask her to carry it out for you. That he had worked for you for years and trusted you would just make him easier to get to."

"So?" Langland said.

"So, you hired me to keep you alive and aren't thinking clearly now, which I'm sure is a new experience for you. I intend to protect you because I'm a professional and you paid me. It's not something you can understand. Don't worry about it. If it comes to letting you die or killing Jilly, I promise

I'll let you die. It's the only human thing about you and I wouldn't take that from you."

Langland studied the big man then he said, "Okay. Thanks."

Ahmat sat back down and picked his crossword puzzle back up. "You're welcome, Langland."

Ahmet stood up quickly. Langland was still lost in the article he was writing about recent advances in carbon dating techniques. Without a word Ahmat reached across the desk and picked Langland up and ran with him to the office door, slamming it behind them as the entire building shuddered and the reinforced door buckled. Langland picked himself up from where Ahmat had dropped him. He ran a hand through his long hair and looked curiously at the door and at his bodyguard. The big man was listening carefully. He drew a small gun and yanked the door open after a few tries and looked inside seeing what he expected. A small plane had crashed through the window behind Langland's desk and now was wedged inside. Ahmat carefully studied the cockpit and scanned the room, then put his gun away and walked closer followed by Langland who studied the shambles of his office.

Langland looked at the plane and said, "Remote controlled. It's not what I usually think of as Jilly's style."

Ahmat glanced at him. "Looks like she's finally stopped fooling around. Unless this also rates as a joke."

Langland smiled slightly. "Probably sorta both. She wouldn't be suprised you saved me, but also wouldn't have been suprised if it killed me. I think you were right. She's not trying to get me to personally torture. I'm really touched by that."

Ahmat looked at him. "Sending a plane into your office to turn you into a stain on the wall rates as a valentine?"

Langland said, "It does compared to what I've seen her do."

Mulder looked down at Helms sitting beside him. He was eating another hotdog covered in chili and onions. "Aren't you sick of those yet?" Mulder asked, putting a sunflower seed in his own mouth.

The old man finished it and smacked his lips. "No, brave one. I have simple tastes I must confess. I understand that Terrible Jilly is as fine at cooking as she is at killing, but that is too much for a simple servant like me. When I have the chance to sample mortal fare this is much more to my taste."

"Don't you eat usually?" Scully asked from the other side of Helms, feeling like an idiot.

The bald old man smiled at her and said, "Not in Tartarus, wise one. Only when I visit the world of mortals for my great lord. It has been several hundred years. The last time was during the Black Death and the food was terrible. That's what I remember most. I slew a company of soldiers and the manor they served, but I can't recall any details beyond that. But that foul concoction they were passing off as food...phew! Everyone who could cook had perished apparently."

Scully said, "1348?"

Helms answered, "1349, wise one. It was well underway when my kind lord sent me to do his bidding."

"Scully," Mulder said tensely.

She and Helms both followed his gaze. They were sitting on a bench not far from the food vendor and across from a bank. As they watched they saw four men march determinedly into the bank. All wore Halloween masks and carried guns and sacks.

"Brave ones..." Helms began to say, but they ignored him as they drew their weapons and began making their way across the street.

"Call 911! Tell 'em there's a bank robbery in progress and two FBI agents are on the scene," Scully shouted to a woman with a baby carriage looking fearfully at her.

Leroy was waiting for the others when before he knew it two guns were pointing at him and he was being hauled out of the car and handcuffed to the door. As the two plainclothes cops left to begin working their way toward the bank, Leroy saw an old man coming toward him. What the hell was this?

Helms studied the highwayman his charges had already apprehended so well. They were very brave and skillful he had seen, and operated under rules which required them to take risks he certainly thought were excessive. Anything he did for his wonderful lord Hades was an honor but protecting these fine young mortal watchmen was especially good since they had the hearts of heroes. Although neither had the skills to be a favorite such as Xena and her descendants, they nevertheless had noble brave souls and protecting them was a pleasure for an ancient demon such as Helms.

"Tell me of your accomplices inside. How dangerous are they?" Helms asked.

"Fuck off, you old fart! I don't say anything without a lawyer," Leroy said with disgust. He was thinking about what his wife would say when she heard he was arrested again.

Helms reached for the highwayman's hand which was shackled to the chariot. He let his own hand change back into a pincer and began squeezing. He was holding his other hand over the fool's mouth. Although it looked human it had the strength to rip his jawbone off.

"Answer me, dog. You don't know what pain is," Helms said with his usual ingratiating smile.

The two agents caught each others' eyes then went in the bank door quickly with their guns in the prescribed two-handed grip. Mulder glimpsed something moving quickly in his peripheral vision. The bank customers were all on the floor. "FBI!" Mulder yelled. A machinegun held by a tall man wearing a Darth Vader mask swept toward him, but before he could fire Mulder saw a hideous form leap on the man and tear the machinegun from his grasp. Mulder heard a shot from Scully and saw another robber fall. The two other bankrobbers were firing at the creature as it leapt from the mangled form of the one with machinegun at them. Scully witnessed the head of one man in a pirate mask seem to just collapse as a pincer closed on it. The other who had a Spiderman mask dropped his shotgun screaming as a tusk ripped his belly open.

Mulder and Scully watched as the hideous demon turned to look at them with its blood covered old man's face, then bounded away and out the door. The two agents carefully walked up to examine the bodies but there wasn't much for them to do now except wait for the regular police. They could hear sirens getting closer. The rest of the bank patrons were getting shakily to their feet, talking confusedly of what happened.

"Scully," Mulder said in a low voice, "I think we should just say it seemed a concerned citizen set his dog on 'em and then ran away. We can't say Hades sent a demon to protect us. They'll lock US up."

The small woman was looking at the mangled form of the first robber Helms had attacked. "I think you're right, Mulder," she said just as uniformed police burst in and yelled for them to drop their guns.

Hours later when the two agents finally emerged from the Police Station the old man was waiting by their car. "Hail, brave ones!"

Mulder said, "We had the situation under control, Helms." Scully was looking closely at the old figure.

Helms answered, "That may well be, but I learned they were most dangerous men and I am here to keep you from harm. I did my duty just as you did yours, oh noble ones." He spoke in a wheedling tone.

Mulder was going to say something else but Scully just said, "Yeah, sure, whatever. Let's go. I've gotta feed my dog and want to take a hot bath." She got in the driver's side. Helms and Mulder looked at each other and shrugged and got in the car.

Ahmat looked around the office he had prepared for Langland to move into. The bodyguard pressed his wristwatch and steel plate shutterd down over the windows. "All right," he said and Langland came sauntering in looking at the windows.

"Charming," Langland said. Ahmat glanced at him and frowned.

"It'll protect you from anything like that plane again. You've got a living apartment through there. You never have to leave. I'll start watching for atomic bombs," he said. "Oh, the Wanli sent an assassin after you."

Langland said, "They did? I always got along fine with Lin."

"She thinks without Jilly she can take you out. Just business," Ahmat said.

The handsome man sighed and said. "Have you done anything yet?"

"The assassin is dead. Another team might be somewhere though. Want me to go after Lin? Langland, are you even listening to me?"

"Do whatever you think is best, Ahmat," Langland said.

"Snap out of it! Jilly doesn't need to get to you. She's already killed you," Ahmat said angrily.

"You're right, Ahmat. Yeah, go kill Lin. Long as you're there take out Quan Chun and Li Shao Sho. It was probaby their idea. Leave now," Langland spoke briskly.

Ahmat nodded and said, "That's more like it. I'll take care of the second team when I get back. Just stay here. Don't leave this room without me."

Langland said, "Goodby, Ahmat."

The big man looked at Langland, something about the tone making him uncomfortable. "I mean it, Langland. Stay here."

Langland shrugged and said, "I heard you. You better get going."

Ahmat said, "Goodby, Langland."

"What is it?" Alex asked Kimberly. She had stopped walking and was scanning the evening street.

"Not sure, yet. I feel something. Let's get a drink, maybe it'll come to me."

Krycek shrugged. He was tired of her constant drinking but his father had been an alcoholic. Maybe that was part of why he got along so well with her. He knew better than to get in an argument over it. She headed for the dive bar again. Alex smiled slightly following her. Kimberly had a self-destructive side that was fascinating.

They stepped inside the bar and both saw him simultaneously. Kimberly and Krycek caught each other's eyes. He said, "It has to be a trap." The woman didn't say anything but was carefully scanning the room.

"Let's say, hello," she finally said quietly to Alex. They walked over to the table where the handsome man was sitting alone with a drink with ice in front of him. He looked up with a smile.

"Ah, Alex, and my mother-in-law. When I learned you two were an item, I confess I was amazed. Please join me."

Krycek felt like he was walking on a tightrope. He looked around. Langland couldn't just be sitting by himself vulnerable in a bar. It wasn't only Jilly out to get him after all. Practically everyone who had ever had anything to do with him even remotely wanted to kill him. Alex counted himself in that. He was furious at finding himself in the middle as he had between Langland and Jilly. There was also the little matter that his arm had been cut off thanks to Langland's smokescreen.

Kimberly sat down and looked up at Alex. She could see how tense he was. She didn't blame him. Langland gave her the creeps and she was much closer to his level than an errand boy like Alex Krycek. "Have a seat," she said. Kimberly was sitting across from Langland but Alex sat beside him, where he could kill him in a second if Langland really was vulnerable.

The almost pretty man glanced over at Krycek ironically. "Alex, I told you before you should be on my side. If you take Jilly my body there's no telling what she'll do. Maybe reward you, maybe kill you fast, maybe kill you slow. She's a moody girl. Without me to calm her down who knows what kind of trouble she'll get in."

Kimberly picked up Langland's drink and sniffed it. "Since when did you drink whiskey? I thought a glass of chardonnay once a week was pushing it for you."

Langland softly smiled and took his glass back from her hand. "I'm surprised you haven't killed me yet, Kimberly. You've wanted to for years. Jilly's not here to stop you...she wouldn't even if she was."

"Where's Ahmat?" Kimberly asked. She didn't like this. Langland knew what his life expectancy was these days without his bodyguard. She hated him but that he would passively kill himself out of love for her daughter...it wasn't quite the Langland she had always wanted to cut into a hundred pieces. Kimberly looked at Alex and made a quick movement.

"What are you doing?" Alex whispered angrily. He had decided to just break Langland's neck. He'd worry about the witnesses later; just kill 'em all if he had to. But Kimberly had intercepted his prosthetic arm before it smashed into Langland's amused face.

"Not yet," Kimberly whispered back at him and released his wrist. He looked furious and she knew how he felt: just like she had when Jilly had stopped her from killing him. Langland was sipping his drink calmly. He'd known what Krycek was doing but hadn't tried to stop him. Langland just didn't care anymore. Kimberly also knew how he felt. She'd never experienced that with Langland before. He had always seemed like he wasn't even the same species as far as she was concerned.

Kimberly heard the door burst open behind her and without hesitating she drew her Beretta 9 mm and rolled away on the floor. She fired twice and heard Krycek's gun bark three times. They got to their feet and looked at the three swarthy dead men with Ouzis. The bartender and other patrons were scrambling out the door. Alex's heart was pounding. He looked at Kimberly who was studying the dead men. Alex looked back and saw Langland still sitting unconcernedly at the table. He sipped his drink, stood up and walked over.

"The Mossad, I imagine," Langland said easily.

"Israelis?" Kimberly said.

"They're Modi'in, Army Intelligence. I worked with Yuri once," Krycek said tensely.

Langland said to him, "That's right, Yakov was transferred over that stupid business about his wife's cousin. Relax, Alex. They were after me, not you. You were just carrying out my orders. You don't rate this." He looked earnestly in Kimberly's eyes. "You saved me, Kimberly. That's twice in just a couple of minutes." There was a mocking edge to his voice.

Kimberly looked at Alex who seemed like a coiled spring, with his eyes darting around and his gun ready. She turned back to Langland. "They were gonna spray the table. We didn't do it to save you."

Langland shrugged and said, "I know. But you still saved me. What would Cal say?" He finished the drink and went behind the bar and picked up a bottle. Kimberly walked over and took it out of his hand. He looked curiously at her.

She said, "If you're gonna start drinking at least do it right. This is crap." She put it back and found a bottle of Chivas Regal. "Here, Langland." She set three shot glasses out, filled them, and picked one up. Alex came over and took one. Langland smiled slightly and picked up the remaining shot glass. Krycek and Kimberly both threw the shots down. Langland followed suit and began coughing.

The dark woman looked at his red face. "Go back in your bunker, Langland. This isn't your style. I'll even make sure you get there okay."

Alex remained quiet watching the exchange. He knew he was out of his league.

The slender too good lookng man set the shotglass down and refilled it. This time he just sipped it. He looked at her ironically, "Don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out."

"Let's go, Kimberly," Krycek said. She looked at him then back at Langland who was going back to his table with the shot glass and the bottle of Chivas.

"Yeah, okay. Goodby, Langland," Kimberly said.

Langland sat down and just waved at her. She and Alex left the bar and began walking back in the direction of Alex's apartment. They could hear sirens coming to investigate the shots, but they turned and stepped into shadows and watched as two cars came screeching up and five Asian men ran into the bar. Machinegun fire lit up the doorway. After a pause there was another burst of fire, then another. A moment later the men dashed out, got back into the waiting cars and drove off with squealing tires.

"Kimberly..." Alex said. He was looking at her face, not being able to read her expression.

"Come on, let's get outta here," she said abruptly.

Three squad cars arrived simultaneously and the officers waited outside a moment assessing the situation then went into the bar fast with their weapons drawn.

They relaxed when they saw it was all over apparently. Three dead males in their twenties and thirties, possibly of Middle Eastern extraction, were just inside the doorway, and another dead male of indeterminate age across the room. He was shot up so bad it was hard to see anything but that he had longish brown hair and was slender. No way to tell if he'd been good looking or ugly as a toad. An unarmed Caucasian female in her twenties was sitting there holding his head in her lap like he was asleep. She was stroking his hair. His blood was all over her elegant white dress.

The cops looked at each other. The sergeant nodded at a female officer. A lot of times they were better at dealing with stuff like this. Officer Janet Johnson holstered her weapon, though the other officers kept theirs trained on the woman.

"Honey, Honey..." the black policewoman said, carefully approaching her. The woman looked up at her. "Can you tell us what happened here? Who did this? Is this your husband?"

Pallas Athene looked up then back down at her favorite. She answered calmly, "No, he is not my husband. I am a chaste goddess. His enemies did this. He had many enemies but he could have outwitted them as always if he had cared to. You mortals live in so much pain..so much pain." She rose and picked the limp bloody form up like it was weightless.

"Put him down, mam. We'll take care of him for you," the Officer said. She'd seen stuff like this before. People crazy with grief, refusing to give up their loved one's bodies. Dogs would do that too with their dead masters. She was shocked at what the woman said.

"You have a fine heart, Janet Johnson. But you have it backwards. I am the mistress and Langland my loyal dog. He was my sly dissembler, as fine in his way as Odysseus or the Warrior Princess. I've lost him twice now...my beautiful man. He wanted me to save him before but I could not. This time I could but he did not want it."

"Put him down, mam," Officer Johnson repeated.

The woman looked at her and the policewoman had never seen such perfect features or such deep gray eyes that seemed to bore into her soul. She said, "Be sure to wear a bulletproof vest tomorrow. You will need it. Farewell." The elegant woman and the bloody corpse she held seemed to shatter into a thousand mirrored shards which tumbled away in all directions.

"Shit!" "What the fuck!" "Christ!" the police officers exclaimed.

Mulder answered his cell phone and waved Scully over as he listened, finally saying, "Yes, sir. No, it wasn't what I wanted either but it's no loss. All right." He slipped his phone back in his pocket and said, "Langland's dead."

Scully said, "Jilly?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. He was in a bar and got shot and a mystery woman took his body. Witnesses say a man and a woman matching the description of Kimberly and Krycek killed three men with Ouzis in a shoot out. Who the hell knows what's going on?" Mulder replied.

Helms had approached them as Mulder was speaking. He said, "Terrible Jilly did not kill King Langland. He was slain by other enemies, barbarians from the land of Chin."

"How do you know that?" Scully asked.

"My kind master informed me of it. He warned me to be vigilant as Jilly's actions cannot be anticipated," Helms said. "She is most dangerous."

"We already know that," Mulder said.

Helms looked up at him. "No you do not, brave one. What you have witnessed is nothing to what she is capable of. Crafty King Langland restrained her and softened the Queen's hard heart."

"What do you mean? What might she do?" Scully asked.

The old man shrugged and said, "I am a mere servant and cannot predict the actions of one so high above me. The Queen may be overcome with grief and do nothing, she may seek solace in drink as her mother, or she may avenge Langland by slaying everyone in the land of his killers."

Mulder said, "China? There's over two billion people. That's absurd. She's just a gangster."

"Brave one, she is Jilly the Butcher, who delights the heart of the God of War. What you have witnessed here and find so fearsome are diversions which she did merely as entertainment. She had no need to be a criminal. It was nothing but play to her. But she may well stop playing now that Langland is dead. She could drown the world in blood."

"My god," Scully said. "We have to do something, Mulder."

"Wise one, there is nothing you can do. Great Kimberly would have killed you if not for Hades. Jilly is even more dangerous. I would advise you to avoid her for the time being. You were seeking to incarcerate Langland and her after all, and her temper may well be short."

Charlie was nervous. He knocked on the office door and stepped inside. Jilly looked up from the restaurant supply catalogue she was reading and said, "What is it?" Then more intently as she saw Charlie's face. "What?"

Charlie put the newspaper in front of her. He had been sure to keep the door open. Jilly looked at the page three story. "Financier Presumed Dead. Body missing in bizarre circumstances." Jilly read the short piece then looked up at Charlie. "It's probably just one of his tricks."

"Yeah, Jilly. You'd know, right? I just wanted to let you see it," Charlie said. He really wanted out of this small room. He nervously saw Jilly stand up and begin rereading the article. She was starting to weave. Charlie backed out of the room and closed the door. He began to run and nearly made it out of the restaurant before a pair of feet slammed into him.

"Jilly.." he said as she used his own weight to hurl him across the room, crashing over a table. Then she was sitting on his chest and Charlie felt a knife at his throat. "Honey...it wasn't me! I just brought you the paper." The whites showed all around her brown irises and she had that demented smile and Charlie began praying inside. But then the knife moved away from his neck and Jilly stood there weaving again.

Finally she said, "Sorry, Charlie." She helped him up and brushed him off. "Lemme give you a new car. I shouldna' done that. You okay?"

Charlie was shaking and bruised but he said, "I'm okay, Jilly. Sure, I can use a new car."

She patted his shoulder and walked back to her office unsteadily. "Go pick one out. Anything you want. Go crazy. Get a overpriced sports car if you want." Her voice was choked. "But not a Corvette, okay?"

"Okay, Jilly. Honey, I'm sorry..."

She didn't answer but just closed her office door.

Kimberly said softly, "Remember how I said you were moving up the food chain, Alex? Well, you're about to meet a big fish."

Krycek followed her gaze and saw an attractive dark haired young woman had come into the restaurant where he and Kimberly were having breakfast. She walked over and sat down with them. She was conservatively dressed in black and Alex noticed a small gold pin of an owl. The waitress approached and refilled his and Kimberly's coffee but acted as if she didn't even see the newcomer who was studying him and Kimberly with gray eyes.

"Happy now, oh noble Kimberly?" she said in a melodious voice finally.

Kimberly sipped her coffee, wanting to put some whiskey in it but not in front of her. "Not really. I would rather Jilly personally killed him when he was poisoning babies or something. Langland's punishment for Siegfried was much better."

"You would think that," Athena said calmly. "You could have made peace between Langland and your daughter. You are the only one. Instead you chose to let it play out, chose to let my innocent favorite be destroyed."

Kimberly said, "Yep, that's what I did all right."

Alex felt something awful. It seemed as if the table became liquid for a moment and the walls and ceiling shimmered and could just come crashing in on them. He saw anger in those gray eyes but the face was still calm.

"Show proper respect. I am not my brother. He enjoys consorting with mortals, allowing them to speak freely. I do not. It was as a peacemaker I requested my uncle bring you here. I foresaw the illness of Jilly's servant and knew she would blame Langland. Hades refused to instruct you, however, or allow me too, either; perhaps finding entertainment in my discomfiture, as if he were holding water just beyond reach of a thirsty man; perhaps he had another motive. It would have been a service to your daughter who loved my favorite. But your selfish hatred was more important. You are no better a mother to Jilly than you were to the son you abandoned."

Kimberly was stricken. "Jilly is better off without him!"

"Convince yourself of that, fearsome Kimlee. Your liquor should help," the goddess answered.

Athena looked at Krycek. "There is more to you than appears. Hades has an interest in you I have not divined yet." She caught his eyes and looked into his angry conflicted soul. "What would you do for the return of your arm?"

Kimberly was horrified. She tried to speak but was paralyzed.

Krycek licked his lips and said, "I would do anything."

Athena reached over and laid a hand on the shoulder of his missing limb. She said, "I accept." She stood up and looked down at Kimberly who found herself able to move again. "Think of me when your plaything strokes your white breasts with his new hand."

"Wait!" Kimberly said in terror as a thought hit her. Athena looked at her and there was a slight smirk on her perfect lips. "What will Jilly do?"

The goddess said, "That has finally occurred to you, has it? When Xena went mad with grief to become the Bitch of Tartarus, it took Ares thousands of years to find you to set things right. Jilly is no Xena, however. As you know yourself she is far more dangerous. Farewell, Kushranhara."

Ahmat whirled around and studied the figure who had just appeared behind him in his apartment.

"Jilly," he said to the ghostly figure with wild eyes and a twitching mouth.

"You were supposed to be protecting him," she said in a disjointed voice.

"He wouldn't let me. He sent me away and went out alone. Langland knew what he was doing. He always did."

The slight blonde figure weaved slightly. "You were supposed to protect him but the Wanli got him. Shot him to pieces. The cops said he was..he was...she came to get her boy, I guess'' Her voice trailed off.

Ahmat jumped aside and avoided the rapid fire of bullets from the little Beretta. She stopped firing and began reloading the weapon. "Very nice, Ahmat. Very, very nice. Why couldn't you do your job that well?"

"I did my job as well as he'd let me."

The slight blonde figure weaved some more then jumped and Ahmat barely avoided the lethal kick. He caught her with a body blow that broke her left collarbone and a kick that sent her reeling back then he found himself on the ground with two broken legs and Jilly on his back, holding the gun to his temple with her right hand. Her left arm was hanging limp.

"Not bad. You're as good as Xena or my mother. I'd stay away from Angela and Kush if I were you though."

Ahmat prepared to attack her again but she jumped away anticipating it and said, "Don't...I'm leaving. I was afraid you'd sold him out."

"You were the one trying to kill him. You were why he needed me," Ahmat said.

She began weaving again slightly and said with a giggle, "Haven't you heard it's a woman's perogative to change her mind?" It sounded to Ahmat like a totally different person speaking. Her eyes were wide and and blank looking. Jilly said in a girlish voice "Gotta go. I have places to go and people to kill.." With a wave she left by his front door. Ahmat pulled himself over to a phone and called an ambulance.

The pale slightly stooped man with a lined face looked at the others as they came in the room. They were grim. He smiled slightly as he lit another Morley.

"Do we know what has happened?" the heavy man said. He looked around at the others. "Well? The world money markets are in a shambles. Areas that we all thought were stable have erupted in violence. Even simple communications and transportation is disrupted and food riots are imminent. It is as if some cohesive force has simply disappeared. Well?"

One of the others looked at the smoking man and said, "What are you smirking at? Does this amuse you?"

He took another drag and said, "Was I smirking? No, the situation does not amuse me. But you all do. You want to know what is different? Langland is dead. That is what's different."

"This is no time for your paranoia!" the well dressed man said harshly.

"You are all fools. We could have prepared for this eventuality but you would not listen to me. Well, so be it. Truthfully, I am amused by what is happening now but only compared to what may be coming."

"Explain yourself," the heavy man demanded.

"There have break-ins at armories around the world. You should be receiving word any time that one of our nuclear submarines is missing along with the aircraft carrier Ticonderoga. In addition, fifty F14 Tomcat fighters have disappeared, ten Stealth bombers, along with two-thousand SAM missiles, five-hundred SCUDs, and any number of experimental prototype weapons. That is all in addition of course to the large numbers of conventional weapons stolen from armories including tanks. NATO and Russian armories have also been raided."

"My God! And you're only telling us now?" the well dressed man exploded.

"Who is behind this? Is it somehow related to the breakdown we were discussing earlier?" the heavyset man said.

"Yes, it is related. I confess I underestimated Langland. Though that was your fault for preventing me from adequately monitoring him."

"Get on with it. We don't need to listen to you saying 'I told you so'!" another man who was usually quiet said grimly. The man took another puff of his cigarette and said, "Jilly Snopes."

"Langland's mistress or whatever she is? What has she to do with it?" the well dressed man said.

"You've never even read any of the memos I've sent you. I see. She is raising an army. Precisely what she intends to do with it is questionable, however. She may not know herself. Mental stability is nothing she's ever been accused of. Killing thousands with her own hands, being a tactical genius, being an expert with a hundred different weapons, oh, and at torture: yes; but being stable: no. Mulder considers her a paranoid schizophrenic though I think that is going a bit far. At any rate, with Langland gone she may be seeking comfort so to speak by doing what she knows best."

"That is ridiculous! She is nothing but a criminal. This is serious and you are the one who is unstable!" the well dressed man said.

The cigarette smoking man said, "Yes, I anticipated you would feel like that. She will soon show herself. When she does call me if you wish, though there is nothing any of us can do. It is already too late. The other forces Krycek may have aligned with are my only hope. We shall simply have to watch what unfolds. Possibly the end of the world we have all known and a new dark age of rampant violence and warlords. As I said, the Snopes woman may seek comfort in the familiar."

"We cannot be distracted from the alien colonization plans by this fantasy," the heavy man said.

The cigarette smoking man said, "I doubt very much you will need to worry about that any longer. It bore all the trademarks of a diversion by Langland. Jilly the Butcher does not seek her goals in such roundabout ways. Goodnight. Call me when you need me." He left the room.

The gray clad men looked at one another. "Could he be right?" one said.

"Of course not!" the well dressed man said too forcefully. The others looked at him, hearing the uncertainty.

The huge figure in a rumpled suit came walking up to the tent and stepped inside. "Jilly," he said slurring his speech. The left side of his face had a drooping quality. The woman dressed in tan military khakis at a small table and studying reconnaissnce pictures looked up.

"Yeah, Paulie."

"Somebody to see you. Lotta brass and shit on their chests."

"Bring 'em in. No wait," she said.

The woman came walking around the table to look at Paulie's face with concern, "You taking your medicine, Paulie? And eating like they said?"

"Ah, Jilly. It tastes like crap! Your dad never ate like that."

"And where's Cal now? Do what I say, Paulie. Don't make me lock you up and feed you."

The big man looked nervously at her, "You wouldn't do that to me would ya, honey?"

The fear in his voice made Jilly wince. That was new since his stroke. She straightened his tie. "Nah, Paulie...I'd never do that. Please, take care of yourself though, huh? Now go get General Dukes and his aides "

"Okay, Jilly," the big man said and lumbered off.

Major General Dukes representing the Joint Chiefs along with three lieutenant colonels followed the hulking man. This was absurd. He seemed like a retarded fighter out of some old movie. However, the rest of the men and women they saw weren't absurd. They were disciplined troops of many different nationalities. A jet flew by overhead and one of the colonels looked up and frowned, recognizing it as a US Navy fighter.

In the tent the men took their hats off and waited. Jilly smiled at them. "Hello, Gentlemen. What can I do for you?"

General Dukes said, "We demand the return of the US military equipment you have stolen. You will pay the consequences if you do not comply."

Paulie exploded, "Don't talk to Jilly that way, faggot!"

Jilly said sharply, "Paulie...wait outside!"

The big man had been about to attack the general but froze, then mumbling to himself lumbered out of the tent.

"Sorry about that. He's been with me a long time. Well, General, is that all you came to say? Because you wasted your time coming here if you did. As for me stealing ...a fine sword is made to be used and the best swordsman should have it. Since I was able to take the Ticonderoga and the rest, it's mine by right. If you can take 'em back you'll show you deserve 'em. We are at the basis of everything here, General. When you get down to it, might makes right. Believe me, General, that's the basis of civilization. I know, I was there. Not that I consider what we have now real civilization. Not compared to Athens or Corinth. But I'm gonna do something about that."

"You're a madwoman who will bring nothing but destruction on yourself and anyone following you," the general said frigidly.

Jilly smiled but the corner of her mouth was twitching slightly, "Really? You know, Paulie had a point. I don't like your tone. My mother would have cut your head off by now. Callisto would probably hang you over a fire for talking like that to her. But I'm not like that...at the moment, anyway."

Collingswood was assessing the situation carefully. He wasn't really a staff officer. If there was an opportunity to eliminate her he should take it. Before he could make a move the woman he towered over just walked up and poked him in the chest with her index finger.

"Listen, I actually have a lotta respect for somebody who would accept a suicide mission. You must figure on being killed after you do me. You're outta your class though and whoever sent you had his head up his butt." She looked at General Dukes. "You maybe? That's brave itself. Stupid but brave. Kinda like Paulie. You wanna kill me, the only one'd who'd even have a chance is Ahmat. He'd know not to meet me one on one now, and he's not half crazy like I am. I'm telling you that to make things interesting."

Collingswood struck down at her and the others also jumped for her. He found himself on the ground. Both of his shoulders were dislocated. He looked around and saw the others were unmoving and had staring eyes.

Jilly said, "You guys are okay...real Spartans." She studied the man grimacing in pain, then said, "I'm not gonna kill you. Tell 'em what I said about Ahmat. He's the only one. Well, he's the only one you guys can get. Things could get real interesting if...never mind." She loudly called out, "Hey, Paulie..bring some body bags." Jilly said to the man. "I'm gonna let you take your comrades back. Be sure their families know they died well."

The CIA assassin said through gritted teeth, "Who, Jilly? Who could make it real interesting?"

Jilly smiled at him as she grabbed one arm then the other and snapped his shoulders back into their sockets, ignoring his cries of pain. She answered, "My brother's girlfriend, Angela, or else his best boy, Kush. Now THAT would be interesting."

Mulder was walking down an empty hallway in the Bureau. He sensed a movement and looking over saw Helms had pushed a tall figure against a wall. Mulder said harshly, "What do you want?"

The man looked ironically down at the old figure holding him with an inhumanly strong grip. He took his time lighting a cigarette and said, "Impressive, Agent Mulder. I suspected you might come in contact with the same forces as Krycek in your pursuit of him. Introduce me to your little friend, why don't you."

Helms smiled and said in an ingratiating tone, "Do not speak of me like that. I show respect to those who deserve it. But you are not such a one." With that the apparently old man flung the cigarette smoking man against the opposite wall where he fell in a heap.

Mulder began to say something but Helms said, "I will not injure him, brave one. He needed to learn some manners." He looked back at the man awkwardly getting to his feet and staring coldly at him.

Mulder said, "I've been wanting to do that for years. Thank you, Helms."

The old man beamed up at him. "You are welcome, brave one."

The tall man brushed himself off, stepped out the cigarette he had dropped and lit another. He didn't speak for a moment, then said, "Jilly Snopes is loose. If I was a religious man I'd start looking for the other three Horsemen of the Apocalypse. I also know if there is a way to stop her it will be with the help of whoever or whatever sent this thing here."

"I warned you, dog," Helms began to say then stopped and seemed to be listening. He glared at the cigarette smoking man but did not speak.

Mulder looked curiously at him but the cigarette smoking man smiled slightly. "Yes, I thought so. They are interested. Should I be speaking to you and not my young friend here?"

Helms said, "I haven't disliked one so much since the Gudean, Gagrathelusha, insulted my mother and sought my position serving my great lord."

The smoking man said, "You had a mother, Helms? Did she also look like something an animal vomited up?"

Mulder looked nervously at the bald old man whose face had gotten red and was opening and closing his hands which momentarily had an amorphous appearance.

Helms said, "Enjoy taunting me. My master forbids me harming you for the time being. That may change. One greater than me will come to you." Helms walked stiffly away, as if he didn't trust himself.

The smoking man said to Mulder. "We are on the same side now. Amazing, isn't it? It's finally happened. Speaking of mothers say hello to yours for me." He walked away down the hall.

Sarah Weinstock stood on her back porch looking perplexed at the clear sky. This weather was insane. It was all over the news that tornadoes had been tearing a path of destruction through Nebraska but this sure didn't seem like tornado weather to her. She could hear far off thunder or something too, and even see flashes in the horizon. They were all supposed to be in their tornado shelters but after a few hours it just seemed ridiculous, so most everyone had come out. They were still careful though and not going far. She called out, "William! Susie! Don't go far!"

William called back, "Okay, Mom. We won't." He was ten. Susie was five and waved at her, holding her brother's hand.

Then Sarah heard it, a roaring coming closer. It didn't sound like any tornado she'd ever heard of but she said, "Get back in the shelter kids!" She ran to open up the door to the underground room. Looking up she saw the roaring sound was coming from several planes flying overhead. She was relieved but when one of them broke formation and began coming toward them she was perplexed. Then to her disbelief she saw something shoot out from the plane. She had seen movies and knew what missiles looked like. "Kids!" she screamed just as her house exploded.

In the lead plane Jilly said, "Nice shot, Jack." Below where there had been a structure and some targets moving around, now there was just a smoking crater. "Jack, you and Arlene, head over to Franklin. I don't want a telephone pole left standing or a dog left alive."

"Yes, Commander," a voice answered and two planes veered off.

Jilly said, "The rest of you, get ready. We're going into Lincoln, now. It's a population center so after we drop our payload we'll come back in for strafing runs. The ground troops will be along to finish the cleanup."

The cigarette smoking man frowned as he approached his simple home in Connecticut. He looked around, sensing something.

"Hey you."

He turned and sauntering toward him was a tall redhaired woman with freckles and wearing a long black leather coat. She stopped and seemed to be studying him with an ironic expression in her pretty, cold, green eyes. "Yes."

"Helms wants to shove a red hot pincer up your ass. What'd you say to him? He doesn't take the job personally."

The man dropped the cigarette he was holding and stepped it out. He took another Morley out but before he could light it the woman was holding a lighter for him. He nodded his thanks, took a drag and said, "I just asked a question about his mother."

The woman grinned and said, "And you knew at least somewhat what Helms is, right?"

He shrugged. "No point in letting the help get uppity."

The woman licked her lips as she looked at him like he was a cut of meat she was considering buying. She said softly, "You're a real motherfucker. I like that. Not too many of us around who don't even try to put a pretty face on it. I'm Angela. Screw with me or my boss and you're dead. I'm no Helms either. You piss me off and Sam tells me to leave you alone...I'll still kill you. We understand each other?"

He smiled thinly at her. "Perfectly. Who do you work for? Who is Sam?"

"Lemme give you a hint. The blood is the life."

He froze for a moment then took another puff. "Good Prince Samuel."

Angela smiled and said, "It's been a while since anyone's called him that. They usually just call him Lord Progenitor these days."

"What does Lord Progenitor mean?" He asked.

Angela licked her lips again and said with a purr, "Sorry. You don't have clearance. I'm sure you understand."

Alex was sitting beside Kimberly at a table. After what happened last time she had finally given up on her favorite dive bar. Somebody would be sure to remember them from the shooting and call the cops. Krycek looked around. This place was even worse. They could get shot here in the crossfire between drug dealers or pimps. He never went to places like this unless the job required it. He did what he did partly so he could afford to live well and own nice things. Kimberly had told him she used to be into all that, designer clothes, the works. She was in a new phase now. She said it ironically but Alex could tell she was telling the truth. She wasn't forcing him to hang out with her. He kept thinking he should put as much distance between them as possible, but then he just found himself still with her. Kimberly seemed like a lightning rod for trouble. Of course, she also knew some very interesting people. He looked one more time at his new hand. Whatever that scary little woman from the restaurant wanted, he would do it gladly.

Kimberly glanced over. Alex was checking out his hand again. She frowned but what was there to say? He'd sold his soul to the devil but he was already as bad as they come. What difference did it make? Athena wouldn't ask him to do anything he hadn't already done worse. She was a class act after all. If Athena wanted to screw with her she might tell him to kill her, forcing Kimberly to kill him. Or she might order him to do something bad that would also force Kimberly to stop him. That seemed kinda small time and petty for Athena though. Maybe she just wanted to screw with Hades by taking Krycek away from him. Her uncle obviously had plans of some sort for him. That could be it, Kimberly thought. She threw down another shot and sensed Alex's disapproval. He actually cared for her, it seemed, and liked less and less seeing her get hammered. One more thing to feel crappy about and drink to forget.

"Shit," she heard Alex say quietly. She looked up quickly following his gaze to see four figures had come in the bar and were looking around distastefully. Mulder, Scully, that chain smoking creep she'd been told about...and Angela.

"Don't try anything with the tall redhead, Alex, no matter what," she said quietly as they spotted the two of them and came their way. Krycek looked at her hearing her tone.

"Angela...it's been a while," Kimberly said.

Mulder and Scully were tense and actually wished Helms were here. He had just shown up at Mulder's apartment with this tall woman and said his master had recalled him. "Farewell, brave one. Give my regards to the beauteous wise one."

"Okay, Helms," Mulder said. He had really come to like the old man or whatever he was. "Take care of yourself." Fox held a hand and Helms beamed up at him and shook it.

"Get lost, Helms. We don't have time for this," the tall woman said.

Mulder thought Helms would teach her some manners like he'd done with the smoking man, but instead the old man looked at her and said in a cringing tone, "Forgive me, exalted one." He quickly left the room.

Mulder looked at her. She was taller than he was. "All right, so you're Angela. Who are you besides that?"

The pretty freckled woman smiled slightly. "Oooh, you're a hero. Except you're not really. You got the attitude but not the chops. I'm here to help. Let's go pick up your frigid friend and Joe Camel. Then I wanna talk to Kimberly."

"Tell me what's going on first," Mulder said.

The woman softly laughed and Mulder found himself on his knees and in agony for a second. It went away when the woman did something with her hands to his neck. "Listen, hero, we're on the same side but I'm not here to protect you like Helms. And nobody's gonna rescue you like before. So do what you're told and don't ever demand anything from me. Helms has a soft spot for noble hearts. I just like to see how long it takes to make 'em squeal like pigs."

Mulder could hear something wet and excited in her voice. Angela was restraining herself he suspected. This was her on a nice day. "I can't endanger Scully," he said.

The woman's eyes lit up and she ran her tongue over her lips. Then she helped him up. "Like I said, I'm here to help."

"Okay," Mulder said, thinking he had pushed his luck as far as he could. Now the four of them were in a rough bar looking at Alex Krycek and Kimberly sitting at a table. Something seemed different about Krycek but Mulder wasn't sure what.

Angela smiled and took a seat as Scully did. Mulder and the smoking man grabbed chairs from another table. Angela said, "Hey, Mom."

All of the table looked at her and at Kimberly who frowned. She glanced around. "She's joking. I'm sorta her mother-in-law just like with Langland. Who are you working for, Angela?"

Alex was carefully watching the exchange. He felt a caution from Kimberly he hadn't before as she talked to Angela. Mulder was looking at him with hatred. Alex smiled and picked his beer up with his restored hand and saw Mulder's and Scully's eyes widen.

"I'm here from Sam...I'm not sure who he's getting orders from. This could be one of those joint operations," Angela said.

Kimberly nodded. "Makes sense. Athena and Hades sent me here but didn't bother telling me it was to save Langland. Now I'm supposed to feel bad for not figuring it out on my own. Friggin gods."

"What are you.." the smoking man began to say but stopped at the look both Angela and Kimberly gave him.

Angela said, "Yeah...Sam takes his regular marching orders from Bacchus, of course, and Ares hasn't told me not to help. So whatever that says. And with Sam getting involved the Slithlocs might be in it just to make sure he stays safe and sound."

"Slithlocs?" Kimberly said.

"Oh, you don't know about that. Sam's bigger than you know," Angela said with a smile.

"He seemed pretty big anyway," Kimberly said.

"Not like this," Angela said.

"That's what you meant when you called him the Lord Progenitor," the smoking man said, ignoring the cold stares he again received.

Mulder caught Scully's eyes. Lord Progenitor was a term they had run across in an X-File once involving blood sacrifices. He said, "The blood is the life," just to see what reaction it would bring.

Angela and Kimberly froze and looked at him. The smoking man said, "Yes, I see now. You should be happy, Agent Mulder. Many of your obsessions are coming to a head."

"Magic and little green men," Scully said with disbelief.

Angela grinned as she saw them all looking at her for answers. She said, "Not little green men; big scaly lizards. The blood angle is just for us though. Slithlocs don't care about that neolithic crap."

Kimberly said, "Maybe it's Sam himself behind it. If he's got that much juice maybe the gods are doing this for him."

Angela looked thoughtful and nodded.

Scully was remembering the history books Mulder had shown her. They had been looking at Jilly and Langland, but there were constant references to Jilly's younger brother who, although not a great soldier like Jilly or a genius like Langland, had eclipsed both of them. She remembered something else. "You're Captain Angela. Where's your thumbscrew?"

Angela smiled widely and reached into a pocket of the leather coat and came out with an article that resembled some sort of nutcracker. She said, "You should try it sometime, Doc. Might surprise yourself." With a chuckle she put the torture instrument, engraved with Prince Samuel's symbol, back in her coat.

"Will Sam be coming here?" Kimberly asked. She tried to keep the emotion out of her voice but didn't succeed and she felt the looks.

Angela said kindly, "Yeah. He wants to see you too."

Kimberly looked away, her eyes red. She felt like a fool, a guilty fool to be feeling this way. Like Athena had said, she was a lousy mother. She'd abandoned Sam when she flipped out that last time. She'd seen him once since and he forgave her, but she didn't forgive herself. "When?" she said.

"That I don't know. Depends on what happens, I guess. He's pretty busy after all. People don't realize what it takes to be Ming the Merciless, Emperor of the Universe. I sure wouldn't want the job. I'd rather do what I'm doing, crushing goodness and trying to kill Flash Gordon."

"You have a smart mouth, Angela. I still think somebody's gonna shut it for you one of these days," Kimberly said.

Angela smiled sweetly and stood up. She looked around the table. "I'll be in contact with all of you." She looked at the smoking man. "Call those dumbasses you work for together again. I'm here to coordinate forces against Jilly. Kimberly, you and your studmuffin are taking orders from me now. Check it out with Hades and Athena if you want." She looked at the two FBI agents. "I'm gonna try and get you two assigned to me. There's gonna be plenty for a couple of smart cops. It won't all be big battles."

"I can arrange for that," the smoking man said.

Mulder glared at him but Angela said, "You can? Good, that'll simplify things. Kimberly, try to cool it on the drinking a little, okay? Jilly's nobody to go up against with a hangover."

Kimberly said, "I'm not gonna fight my own daughter."

Angela said, "I won't send you directly against her. Gimme some credit. There's gonna be plenty of fighting to go around. Sam doesn't want her hurt anyway. He just doesn't want her destroying civilization and slaughtering two-thirds of the world's population."

"You think you're gonna stop Jilly without killing her?" Kimberly said with disbelief.

Angela frowned then said, "Maybe it won't be possible. You stopped the Bitch, Kimberly. Sacrificed your friend Callisto to do it. Jilly killed more than the Bitch of Tartarus her first ten minutes, what with modern technology. I think she'll destroy all of her fancy hardware when she feels she can though. She wants to bring back the good old days. Sam knows I might have to kill her. He'd rather I not. I don't want to either; she's my sister-in-law after all. Plus she trained me just like you and Callisto trained her."

Mulder interrupted, "There's been fighting? Where? Why haven't we heard anything about this?"

The smoking man smiled and said, "Really, Agent Mulder, it surprises you the news has been suppressed? I thought conspiracies were your forte. It will only make the situation worse if people learn there is an insane military genius running amok. We estimate fifty-million dead in China so far, and another twenty-million worldwide. The Wanli, an organization on both Taiwan and the mainland, killed Langland, so she began there and has been particularly harsh. The Sword of Ares a.k.a. Kimlee was at her most savage in China, so there are nostalgic reasons as well."

He paused as Kimberly muttered something, downed her drink and slammed the glass down on the table. He looked curiously at her then got a look of realization. He continued, "The Chinese at first blamed Russia and launched quite deadly reprisals which naturally were returned in kind. Jilly has forces in Southern France, Austria, the Midwest and Florida. Something is happening in Brazil as well as East Africa but it is unclear what. She has been using nuclear weapons as well as conventional ones."

Scully said, "The storms, the tornadoes, the hurricane damage, the droughts...that's what you're using to hide it! My God! My God!"

Taking a drag on his cigarette, the man said, "The Ticonderoga may be making for Japan. Densely populated as it is, it would certainly be a tempting target, since maximum loss of life appears to be her goal."

Kimberly said quietly, "Is she crucifying people, burning 'em?"

Angela said, "No, she's not the Bitch of Tartarus. In Indonesia when some of her men tried to get creative like that she personally led a force in and exterminated her own troops. The people thought they were being saved and thanked her. Jilly said you're welcome left and dropped a bomb on 'em. That has happened other places too. When you start killing like this it's natural to wanna have fun with it, but she's trying to keep it clean."

Mulder said with distaste, "Atrocities are 'natural' and 'fun?'"

Angela slowly smiled as she glanced at him. Mulder sensed a movement and saw Kimberly was staring Angela in the eyes and shook her head. The freckled woman shrugged.

"What does she want? Does she have demands?" Scully said, wanting to defuse the tension. Scully wasn't anxious to see a demonstration of that thumbscrew on her partner.

Angela said, "This IS what she wants. She's been pent up for years, held back by Langland, not doing what she's good at. Now she is." She smiled. "Sorta orgasmic, really. She's trying to destroy modern civilization and go back to a simpler time."

"That's insane!" Scully said.

"Duh..." Mulder said.

Scully glared at him and continued, "Destroying the infrastructure won't bring back Antiquity, won't destroy modern civilization."

The smoking man said, "It depends how thorough she is willing to be. This may be step one. Step two may be targetting modern knowlege itself. Information is largely stored and desseminated electronically. If she can destroy the ability to create electricity on a world wide scale, if she can desroy libraries, etc. Step three could be hunting down individuals who persist in remembering. I am only speculating here, of course. Recreating Antiquity, I agree, is impossible but essentially destroying modern civilization is conceivable."

Angela smiled at him. "I'm surprised she hasn't offered you a job."

"What makes you think she hasn't?" he responded dryly.

Kimberly said, "This is my fault for not making peace between Langland and Jilly."

Angela said, "It's the friggin gods like you said. You got enough stuff that you are responsible for. Don't let'em psych you out over this." Kimberly looked up at her with surprise. Angela continued, "Say what you like about Ares. At least he doesn't play these sick mind games."

Kimberly muttered, "He plays other sick games. You got a point this time though."

The tall redhead looked around the table again with her glittering green eyes, smiled, turned and walked out of the bar with her long leather coat sweeping about her.

The smoking man rose and also left.

The table was awkwardly silent. Kimberly broke it and said, "I'm glad Hades stopped me from killing you. It was nothing personal. Since I said I would I had to do that." She heard Alex chuckle.

Scully and Mulder looked at her, rose, and left themselves. Kimberly looked over at Krycek who shrugged.

"Don't worry about it, Kimberly. Some people just don't have a professional attitude," Alex said.

Mulder and Scully had been told to stay out of this operation but that made them suspicious and they came anyway. Angela smirked but didn't say anything. There were three-hundred soldiers in the cavernous hangar. Angela and fifty men had come out of the plane the soldiers thought they were going to be getting on. Another hundred men had been hidden around the hangar. They all carried machine guns and the unarmed soldiers had their hands clasped behind their heads. Looking around Fox saw a shadowy figure in a car, recognizable by the glowing cigarette.

"Who's in charge?" Angela said harshly.

A middle aged black man in a US Army major's uniform said, "I am."

The tall redhead in her long black leather coat smiled at him but there was nothing friendly about it. "You're traitors. What about that, huh? You see how good Jilly is and just throw in with her? Is that it? You're elite; she's elite; screw your country. That it? People don't follow Jilly for ideals, not like with Sam. Figure on being King of Los Angeles when the dust settles or something? You were gonna set up a regular little boot camp for her, besides being a strike force. Be worth a lot and Jilly's not stingy."

The officer didn't answer. Scully and Mulder looked nervously at each other, not liking this. Scully said, "What provisions are there for prisoners? They need to be questioned."

Angela looked over with her pretty freckled face. "Prisoners? I KNEW there was something I forgot. These guys don't know anything I don't already have. But they can carry a message for me."

Mulder yelled, "NO!" as Angela brought the machine gun up and fired into the officer's chest just as he began running at her. The rest of her men opened fire into the other prisoners. Mulder ran up and tried to grab the gun away from her and found himself on the ground, having received the butt of it in his gut without Angela even looking at him. She continued firing, the noise deafening in the echoing hangar.

Scully pulled her own gun out and pointed it at Angela. "Stop it!" she yelled as loudly as she could in order to be heard but Angela ignored her.

The firing stopped a moment later. The tall redhead looked sardonically at Scully who was pale faced and still had her gun on her. The soldiers were all dead although they had managed to take twelve of Angela's men with them, and eight others were injured. The remainder now aimed their weapons at Scully.

Mulder got to his knees, then his feet. He put himself in Scully's line of fire. "Mulder! Move!" she snapped but he just walked toward her and put his hand on her gun.

"Scully," he said.

She looked around at the machine guns pointing at her and Angela smirking. Scully put her pistol back in its holster. The men didn't take their guns off of her until Angela made a hand gesture.

Mulder looked back at Angela who was watching them with glittering green eyes. She took something from a pocket and walked to the body of the major she had killed and dropped it on him. She tossed them on a few other bodies as well.

"Let's go," she ordered and went to the car the smoking man was in and got in the back seat with him. The rest of her men ran to waiting cars, taking their dead with them, and soon Mulder and Scully were alone with the hundreds of dead bodies and the spreading blood. The two agents walked over to see what Angela had left behind and found black matchbooks embossed with a red logo.

Alex had just emerged from a phone booth when he was surprised to see Kimberly across the street. She was talking to a blonde woman a little taller than Scully. He hadn't told her where he was going but her finding him when she wanted to didn't surprise him. She was dressed differently in a sort of Diana Rigg leather number. He liked it. Alex walked up and lightly touched the small of her back. He found himself held up against a brick wall and Kimberly glaring at him. The few people on the street pointedly acted like they didn't see anything.

"Are you suicidal?" she said angrily.

Alex instantly understood this was a performance for the blonde.

"I mistook you for somebody else," he said. "Sorry."

She released him and looked at the little blonde. "Great...this again! Who is it this time? Meg, Diana, Leah? Or is there a new one running around?"

The blonde, dressed like a soccer mom, said in friendly voice, "Excuse us. We're new in town."

Alex nodded. "Sure. My fault."

Kimberly was studying him like she didn't trust him. She was good all right, Alex thought. She growled, "You're a killer. I can always spot 'em. Who did you think I was?"

"Kimberly," he answered, playing along.

"And just who is Kimberly?" she said.

"A friend of mine."

"People like you don't have friends," the dark woman said.

"Xena, by the Gods!" the blonde said. "Excuse her. She doesn't usually act this way."

At the name Alex tensed and the woman caught it. "Oh, my name means something to you. Why? No one would know me here; wherever 'here' is. Not unless there was a reason to."

Krycek was trying to imagine what her angle could possibly be when she grabbed him again and pushed him back against the wall.

"You still think I'm Kimberly. You two double team people all the time."

"That's right," Alex said, suppressing a smile. She released him with a disgusted expression.

"Take us to where you think I should be, if I wasn't running this scam with you now," the dark woman said.

The short blonde said, "Maybe it's a descendant, Xena. We're in the future, I bet. Look at those horseless chariots and these buildings. Gods! It has to be the future!"

The woman looked around. "Gabrielle, if they have horseless chariots and giant buildings like this, what kind of weapons do you think they have?" She studied Alex and just reached and took his gun from where he wore it in back under his coat. "This...this must be a weapon."

Alex was watching her carefully. He nodded. The woman snorted and replaced it. "What's your name?"

"Alex Krycek," he answered.

"Let's go, Alex Krycek. Oh, and, Alex Krycek, if you draw that weapon on me I'll shove it down your throat, just to be safe. I'll bet you know I can too, whether I'm Kimberly or not."

Alex nodded and said, "Follow me, Destroyer of Nations."

The little blonde had an intake of breath but the big woman smiled grimly.

Scully was stepping out of the FBI building when she frowned as she saw Kimberly and Krycek again down the street. There was a baby faced blonde with them too. She moved to intercept them. Krycek still had information on open cases even if her superiors had made a deal with him for his cooperation. She was also curious about his restored limb.

"Krycek, I want a word with you," she said abruptly as she caught up with them as they waited at a crosswalk.

Xena stopped to watch curiously what happened. The little woman had an edge to her that she associated with security officers. It didn't surprise her Alex Krycek was known and disliked by one. She realized the woman was directing the same kind of looks at her...thanks to Kimberly she assumed.

Alex flashed one of his handsome smiles. "Hello, Dana. What can I do for you?" The tone was meant to insult.

Gabrielle smiled and stepped forward, instinctively trying to defuse the situation. "I'm Gabrielle and this is Xena." She held her hand out.

Scully looked coldly at the outstretched hand. Xena wanted to smile. She wouldn't be too friendly to any companions of Krycek either. Finally the small redhead shook Gabrielle's hand preemptorily. Xena liked her already.

"Another alias, Kimberly?" Scully said frigidly.

"I'm not Kimberly," Xena sain calmly.

"Yeah, sure, whatever," Scully said, not wanting to give her any satisfaction by arguing. "Krycek, what about your arm?"

"Somebody fixed it," Alex said, enjoying how much Scully hated not being able to slap handcuffs on him...or even shoot him if she had an excuse.

"What was wrong with his arm?" Gabrielle asked with concern.

"I only had one," Alex and flashed a grin at the small blonde.

Scully asked "Who fixed it?"

"Athena," Alex with a smile.

Scully saw Kimberly go rigid. The dark woman demanded, "What did she say?"

Alex looked at Kimberly. When she was acting she went all the way. He'd play along. "Asked what I'd do for a new arm. I said anything and she said it was a deal."

"That's wonderful!" Gabrielle exclaimed, missing the irritated look Xena directed her way.

Scully said suspiciously, "I'd like to meet this Athena."

"No, you wouldn't," Xena said seriously. The short redhead looked curiously at her then frowned when she remembered she didn't like her.

Xena grunted, looking at Krycek. There was more to him than it seemed. Had to be. Athena didn't go around helping killers. She wasn't like Ares after all. Xena had her problems with Athena but that didn't prevent her realizing the Goddess of Wisdom and Protector of Cities was the best of the Olympians. Xena was worried about her friend though. Gabrielle didn't get it about Krycek. She was falling for his good looks and charm and thought Xena was being unfair. He was like somebody Xena would have had as a lover in the old days, then sent to his death when he thought he was betraying her. She bet he was great in bed. Guys like that always were.

Scully was thinking about Hades. Why not Athena? The only way she could deal with all of that was to put it in a compartment and hope it was rationally explained somehow eventually; for example, she was crazy. That had occurred to her. But until then she had to act like what seemed real was real. What else could she do?

The door opened, Angela entered and looked around carefully. She stepped to one side and a tall blue-eyed man with long dark hair and a mustache came in tripping slightly. He appeared around thirty and was wearing a beautiful cream colored suit and a maroon tie.

He was followed by another tall man, this one with almond skin, straight blonde hair, massive shoulders, and wearing a long black leather coat like Angela. The men noticed another figure stationing himself outside the door before it closed. He was also in a long black leather coat.

The smoking man said deferentially, "Welcome, Prince Samuel," and inclined his head slightly.

The tall man smiled slightly in answer and looked around the room at all the grey clad white men, who were just watching him carefully.

The well manicured man stepped forward and said, "About time you got here."

The Prince glanced at Angela whose hand lashed out. The man made a choking sound and fell to his knees holding his hand to his throat which was pumping blood. Angela replaced her chakram in her coat, pulled him to his feet, and said to the smoking man, "Bring me one of those." She indicated some glasses beside a carafe of water on the large table.

Without a word he handed a clean glass to the redhaired woman. Angela bent the struggling choking figure over and let the glass fill with blood. Then she dropped him still twitching and handed what looked like a glass of tomato juice Prince Samuel. The Prince looked around at the men who were all pale and speechless watching him. He raised the fresh warm blood to his mouth and sipped as if he were evaluating it, then took a swallow. His lips were red before he licked it off.

"Let's try again," Angela said with a smile.

The heavyset man said in a whisper, "Welcome, Prince Samuel" and inclined his head. The others followed suit. Angela was leaning against a wall with her arms crossed; her fair face and red hair seemed almost to be floating above her black coat and against the dark wood wall.

Prince Samuel took a seat at the head of the table and said, "I'm very happy to be here, my friends. I wish it could have been under more pleasant circumstances. Please, be seated." He turned, "Kush..." he said quietly and indicated the body.

The big foreign looking man picked the corpse up, opened the door and tossed the body out. "Dispose of this, Laconius," he said in an accent none of the men in the room recognized.

Samuel looked around the table and said, "Jilly Snopes is my sister for those of you who don't know. I'm here to help you stop her. We need to begin military operations immediately, which is why I've come to you. Angela will coordinate that. It will take some time for me to bring the rest of the world into the struggle against my sister. When they do Kush will lead them. Any questions?"

A grim faced man said, "The Chinese and Russians will never cooperate with each other."

The Prince smiled. "They will when they see me. If need be I will depose their governments and rule them once more myself. Now, arrange a meeting for me with the President in six days for three AM here. I'm going to attempt to talk to Jilly before then. It may be hopeless but it is just possible she will abandon her plans when she realizes she will be fighting me."

"What if she kills you?" the smoking man said.

Prince Samuel sipped his cup of blood again before answering. "She won't. She'll make sure to never put me in danger."

"Don't get any ideas about holding Prince Samuel hostage against Jilly." Angela said with a smile. "She'd never fall for it. She knows I'd never stand for that. That's not even taking into account what the Slithlocs would do to anybody screwing with their Lord Progenitor. Right, Kush?" The blonde man nodded but did not speak.

The heavy man said, "And what if the president doesn't want to cooperate with you?"

Angela snickered. The Prince glanced at her with irritation and said, "I hope he doesn't make a mistake like that. I have a sentimental attachment to the United States and don't want to impale its leaders and create a new government. I will if I have to though. Democracy is a noble experiment, gentlemen, but it doesn't give people emotionally what a leader can. The people will support me if I make myself known. They have for three thousand years."

"You're crazy!" the heavy man said.

Angela smiled and took a step toward him but stopped when Samuel held a hand up. He said, "I'll let that one go. Never talk like that to me again."

The heavy man was pale as he realized how close he had just come to dying. The others were looking at him like he was a fool. Just as he would if one of them had done something so stupid. They would never listen to him in the same way again.

The grim faced man said, "We understand, Prince."

Kimberly was watching Get Smart when she heard someone at the door and could tell it was more than one person. She turned the TV off, stood and watched as Alex, Xena and Gabrielle came in. Krycek looked surprised which was understandable. She watched Xena. Time traveling was a tricky business. Xena might see her as family or a rival, might be guilty about her, or might not even know her, depending upon where she had been grabbed from.

"You must be Kimberly. Do you know why we're here?" Xena demanded.

Answers that question, Kimberly thought. She said, "Save the world. Same old, same old."

Xena was studying the woman carefully. "Who sent you?"

"Hades. Ares probably sent you. He still thinks he owns you no matter what you feel about it."

Gabrielle said, "Why would Hades be the one to send you?"

Xena said, "Because she's dead, Gabrielle. Probably handles situations Helms isn't up to."

Kimberly shrugged, "Beats hanging out in Tartarus or the Elysian Fields. Of the two, I prefer Tartarus. More interesting group."

Xena jerked a thumb at Krycek. "What's trash like this doing with an agent of Hades?"

Gabrielle said, "Xena!"

Kimberly said dangerously, "He's my friend."

Xena looked from one to another, sensing she had gone too far. There was something vicious about the man that rubbed her the wrong way. She could see some of her old self in him.

Alex didn't say anything. He knew he was hopelessly outclassed. It was happening so often he was getting used to it.

Kimberly said, "Hades and Athena are both interested in him...just so you know."

Xena nodded. "Hades too? I heard about Athena. That's in addition to what you might do if I hurt him, I suppose."

Kimberly said, "That's right." She glanced at Gabrielle.

Xena scowled but before she could say whatever she was going to the bard stepped between them and said, "Can't we all just get along?"

Xena stopped and said, "Yeah. Good idea." Kimberly and Alex Krycek relaxed slightly.

Alex smiled at Gabrielle and she returned it. He sensed something and turned to see four pairs of similar cold blue eyes looking at him.

"Think, I'll be going. They gave me a new assignment, Kimberly. See you later," Alex said lightly.

"What kind of assignment?" Xena said suspiciously.

When Alex didn't answer, Xena stood up to shake it out of him but realized Kimberly had also risen. The warrior Princess glanced over and could feel the woman's readiness, even eagerness.

Kimberly nodded at Alex and said "Be careful out there."

Krycek gave all three of the women his charming smile and left. Xena immediately said, "Stay away from him, Gabrielle. He's murdering scum."

Before Gabrielle could say anything Kimberly said, "If anybody would know murdering scum it would be you, Xena. What's wrong? Scared he's gonna steal a piece of your pie?"

"I've had about enough of you!" Xena snarled at Kimberly.

"Stop it! Both of you! Xena, what's wrong with you?" Gabrielle exclaimed.

Kimberly sneered, "Alex reminds her too much of the old days. And she's afraid of what you might do if you ever get a taste of a real man instead of that twerp you were married to. You might discover there's more to life than carpet cleaning."

"What do you know about Perdicas? Don't talk about him like that! And what are you saying? I don't even know what you're talking about." Gabrielle said angrily. She could see the two warriors were barely holding themselves back.

Kimberly smiled at the bard. "Oh, you don't? Even better, Xena. You're pathetic!"

Xena hit Kimberly in the face sending her spinning around, but found a foot in her own face that she hadn't seen coming.

"All right, Xena! About time. I've wanted a piece of you for three thousand years. You're not the Bitch of Tartarus but you're close enough!" Kimberly's eyes were blazing.

Xena reached up and caught a dagger flying at her. She threw it back and it buried in the wall where Kimberly's head was a split second before. Then Kimberly was on her and sent her crashing against a wall with a combination punch and kick.

"Stop it! Stop it!" Gabrielle cried and put herself between the two big dark women.

"I just love a good catfight! Meeeowww...rowwrrrr...spit..spit!"

The warriors and Gabrielle froze at the new low voice and turned. He was in his usual studded black leather and grinned through his perfectly trimmed black beard. "Don't stop on my account. I can't wait till you tear each other's clothes off. Maybe I can get some mud in here."

"Ares..." Kimberly and Xena both said in similar tones of dislike.

He got a disappointed look on his face and disappeared in flame.

"What was that?" Gabrielle said, mystified.

Kimberly and Xena were looking wryly at each other. Kimberly said, "He wanted to make sure we didn't hurt each other. He just did it in the most obnoxious way he could find."

The bard looked at Xena questionigly. The warrior Princess said, "Yeah, I'd say that's it. We're not here to fight each other. You wouldn't let a horse you wanted to race get hurt would you? Same principle."

Kimberly said, "Let's get something to eat."

Jilly was directing the artillery and air support when a message came over the radio in a clipped tense voice and French accent. "White Queen, White Queen, this is Foxfire Two. Come in, White Queen."

"This is White Queen. Go ahead, Foxfire Two," Jilly snapped. They had been drawn from an elite regiment she had created made up of men from various Special Forces units. She had sent them to destroy a communications center and hopefully a good number of the most able generals fighting her. It wouldn't be easy but it was do-able, and they wanted tough missions. That's why so many Russian Blue Berets, American Green Berets, etc, had come over to her. Jilly had been a pinup for Soldier of Fortune for years. Her last recruits had never shown up though. There were unclear reports of an incident in an aircraft hangar.

"We have met unexpected reassistance and are sustaining heavy casualties."

"What kind of resistance?" Jilly said, looking at aerial photographs as she grabbed a shoulder holster, preparing to personally go to the scene if she could pinpoint their location. Sounds of explosions and weapons fire came over the radio. Jilly held on listening, trying to piece together what must be happening. She heard crunching footsteps then breathing on the other end. Jilly finally said, "Who is this?"

"Well, well,...the White Queen. I just took your Frog Knight, Jilly, or was he just a Pawn?" a sardonic voice came over the speaker.

"Angela!" Jilly said. "Where's Sam?"

"He's around. Wants to talk to you. Get you to call it off. I told him it was a waste of time. Langland held you back just like Sam does me. Hell, if anything happens to Sam... But he thinks maybe he can reason with his big sister. Men...they just don't understand. Stand by your man and if somebody whacks him, destroy the world! I can dig it, Jilly. I might be the only one. Maybe we can get this all wrapped up in time so you can come over for Thanksgiving. Oh, Maurice Chevalier here has something to say to you."

Jilly heard a scuffling sound then the tense but disciplined voice of Foxfire Two's leader. He had literally been in the Foreign Legion. "The unit is no longer a viable force, General." He began to quickly say, "Coordinates 263..." but then he made a grunting sound and there were sounds of a scuffle.

Jilly's fingers were white as she gripped the phone, heard Angela laugh and say, "Nice try! I'm gonna make an example of you traitorous fucks, starting with you!" Jilly kept her face expressionless as she heard soft grunts, which broke out into yells, and finally screams of agony. She thought of her sister-in-law's thumbscrew and wondered exactly where she was using it; she didn't think that officer would have sounded like that from his thumb. When Angela's voice came back on Jilly could hear how turned on she was. "Unfortunately, I don't have time to give your boy the full treatment." There was a crack Jilly recognized as a pistol shot. "I heard you wanted me or Kush to show up to make things interesting. Lucky you. We're both here. Bye for now. I've got the rest of your men to say hello to. Thanks for sending them my way. Ya know, what's really cool, Jilly? I'm the good guy!" The radio went silent.

Jilly cursed and stood up in her command care as her driver dissolved in blood. She pushed his body out and began weaving the vehicle in and out of the incoming shells. She'd underestimated Ahmat. Jilly stopped the jeep and looked at her army which was having huge holes ripped in it by the incoming shells. Well, she'd asked for it. She wanted it interesting but was so arrogant she'd hadn't really anticipated that it would be. Ahmat was almost certainly a better general than she was. He was a lot like Kimberly. Jilly just used her tactical brilliance and personal ability to overwhelm her foes. Kimberly's victories often had a feeling of inevitability about them. Jilly's often were dependent on Jilly herself being there to personally take out communications, kill enemy commanders at key moments, etc, snatching victory from defeat.

This was only a portion of her forces, of course; she wasn't that stupid. She began barking orders into a radio, launching a counterattack since there was no way to avoid the shells. Two jet fighters caught her eyes. They were heading her way.

"Shit," she said, then realized the planes weren't together. One was coming after her without a doubt. But she could tell the other was pursuing the first plane. She took off in her command car again. She heard the rocket and sent the vehicle flying off an embankment and leapt clear. The smart missile followed the jeep and Jilly covered her ears against the explosion. Looking up she saw the two F-14s were in a dogfight now, diving, rolling, and climbing. Jilly tried to imagine who this could be. He or she was in for a promotion, that was for sure. Her rescuer finally caught the pursuer with a missile. Jilly was glad to see the pilot eject, respecting him. Then as she watched, the winner opened up on the parachutist with machine guns, and kept on long after there was any need. Jilly frowned and returned to giving orders into the radio. She had to get back into the fighting. Without her they wouldn't stand a chance.

Jilly and her men were back at her base camp. She had managed to extricate them by going deep into the enemy's lines herself and disabling the rocket launchers. She pulled her men out before Ahmat could regroup. He'd nearly got her with that jet he'd sent after her. That could've ended the whole thing if whoever it was hadn't come along. Now she heard a roar and looking up recognized the black F-14 that had rescued her. She watched it land and ran over to a jeep and drove out to meet the pilot. The plane wasn't one of her's she realized. It was probably a defector who had decided to throw in with her. The pilot in a flight suit clambered out of the cockpit. Jilly's heart began beating quickly and she found herself running toward the figure who was taking the helmet off.

Jilly stopped and felt her face getting red. The pilot frowned and said, "What did I always tell you?"

"Crying is dangerous and weak," Jilly said in a choked voice.

The pilot nodded and said, "Let's go back to your command tent. Lemme see your plans. You can't just have everything dependent on you, no matter how good you are. You should know better than that."

"I'm sorry."

The blonde fighter pilot looked around with a smile that was too wide for her face. "Quite an operation you've got going here. I hear you've killed something like three-hundred-million people so far. I can't even imagine that many people being alive." Callisto put an arm around her shoulder and hugged her. "Good girl, Jilly!"

Gabrielle jumped at the loud sound and Xena's chakram was in her hand. Kimberly waved at them reassuringly and picked up the phone and said, "Hello...What's up, Angela?"

Xena was embarrassed and put her chakram back on its clip.

Kimberly's tense voice caught her attention.

"Jesus!...Yeah...I can't figure where Ares is in all this either. He was just here...being a dick, what else? He could go either way...the fighting itself...What about Bacchus?..yeah, but there's lots of blood... Hades, sure...I ran across somebody too and it's just perfect...Who do you think? If you were some asshole god...You got it...She's right here...her too...stuffing her face, yeah..."

Gabrielle stopped chewing the Bacon Double Cheeseburger a moment. In her other hand the onion rings were momentarily halted in their journey to her mouth. She glanced at Xena and saw she was trying not to smile. That was wise of her.

"Well, I'm not fighting HER either...I don't care...I don't care...I remember even if she doesn't....Take it up with Hades...neither of 'em, nope...You know what you can do with your thumbscrew, Angela!... Okay, yeah, I know...I didn't either...I know you're under a lot of pressure ...Okay...Ahmat would be good...well he's got one,I suppose, but she had standards. She wasn't like...got a point there, Angela. Kiss Sam for me." Kimberly set the phone down and looked at Xena.

The Warrior Princess said, "Callisto."

Mulder and Scully looked up at a knock and their office door opened. They were both hoping it would be Helms but a young man stood there in the same kind of long black leather coat Angela had been wearing. Gestapo-wear, Mulder thought. The agents stood up.

"Can we help you?" Mulder asked with unconcealed hostility.

"Kush would like to see you," the man said pleasantly.

Mulder still said sarcastically, "I suppose we are to drop everything and go with you, and if we object you've got a little motivator like Angela."

The young man had a half smile. "We aren't all like the great Captain. I'll pick you up at your apartments around seven. You can tie up whatever loose ends you have. Don't eat first. Kush hopes you will dine with him."

Mulder looked sheepish. "Sorry. Guess, I flew off the handle there a little."

"Sometimes Captain Angela can be a little abrasive, I know," the young man said.

Scully said, "We'll be waiting. What's your name?"

"Laconius. I'm the Lord Military's aide." He shook their hands. Both of the agents noted he wore several rings on all of his fingers. He saw their look. "Just a fashion I picked up when I accompanied Kush to his homeland. Goodby."

The man left. Scully and Mulder looked at each other. Mulder said, "Is that homeland or homeworld, I wonder." Scully rolled her eyes.

Laconius picked them up as he said he would in a limousine which he drove. "I love cars. These chariots are amazing," he said.

"Chariots?" Scully said curiously.

Laconius smiled at her. "Vehicles, automobiles, whatever."

"Where are you from, Laconius?" Mulder asked.

"Originally a farm in the Greek countryside," he answered.

"And now you're fighting Jilly the Butcher," Mulder said.

Laconius frowned and said, "Please don't call her that. It is not respectful. Yes, though I hate that it has come to that."

"Why?" Scully asked.

The young man turned down a side street. "I left home to serve her. She's not my first loyalty anymore but it doesn't feel right."

"Who's your first loyalty?" Mulder asked curiously.

"The Prince of Blood," Laconius said matter of factly.

"Prince Samuel?" Scully said. Laconius nodded.

"Is he the Slithloc Lord Progenitor?" Mulder asked.

"This is not for me to discuss, Agent Mulder," Laconius said and drove in silence for several more minutes until they reached an expensive looking townhouse. He got out and opened the door for Scully to her surprise.

Inside he led them to a dining room and stopped seemingly surprised. The agents looked at the occupants of the room, two men. One was tall and clean shaven, with almond skin. He had blond hair, massive shoulders, and was wearing a suit which had the look of a uniform. The other was white and slightly shorter with long dark hair and a mustache and dressed in a beautiful ivory white suit. Scully and Mulder both recognized him from the history books.

"Laconius, it's good to see you," the long-haired man said. "I arrived unexpectedly."

"Your royal highness," Laconius said, approached him and kissed his hand.

The Prince smiled at the agents and approached them.

Laconius said, "This is Agent Scully and Agent Mulder, Lord. Agent Scully is a healer."

"Your highness," Scully said falteringly, and tried to curtsy though she really didn't know how. She added, "Actually, I'm a forensic pathologist."

Mulder nodded his head, not sure what to do. He didn't want to commit a faux pas but didn't intend on groveling either. Neither he or Scully had ever felt anything like this before. There was just something about the Prince, though they didn't know what it was exactly.

"Come, my friends. Let's eat," the Prince said and lightly touched both of their arms. It was like a pleasurable warmth went through them from where he had touched them.

Three maids began bringing food in. Mulder and Scully felt something odd, a kind of tension from Kush and Laconius when the servants came near them.

"Thank you very much, Clea. Have you girls eaten yet?" the Prince said.

The maid shook her head and another one said. "Not yet, but we have something ready. Something you'll like." She had a Greek accent.

Kush and Laconius got even more tense. The agents both understood something was happening they didn't have an inkling about. The Prince smiled and said, "Elvira, I know that look! German, I'll wager."

"Even better, Swiss," the maid said and smiled. Mulder thought he was seeing things. For a moment it seemed she had long canines.

"When I was a child I loved Swiss-Miss Cocoa. My sister made it for me," the Prince said.

"Swiss Miss," Elvira said and nodded. Then she bent down to whisper in his ear. His blue eyes flicked quickly over to Scully again.

"We'll see. I'll join you later. You can leave," he said. The maids didn't move and the Prince indicated Kush. "I'll be all right. You can leave." The maids returned to the kitchen.

"They are concerned. We all are, Lord. This is a primitive dangerous place. A bomb or missile would be unimpressed by your station. There is no need for you to be present," Kush spoke for the first time. Neither Scully or Mulder could place his accent, or his look for that matter. Who had black eyes, brown skin, and blonde hair?

The Prince said, "I do have to be here. This is Jilly." He looked at the agents. "You've met her, I understand. What did you think of her? Be honest. You don't have to worry about what you say."

Mulder answered, "A paranoid schizophrenic who has the talent and resources to act out her delusions of mass murderer. I always thought of her as a crazy gangster. I've only learned recently that crazy war criminal would be closer to the mark."

Prince Samuel listened closely. "She's so talented and that's what she does with it," he said with sadness. "I think paranoid schizophrenic is a bit harsh, Agent Mulder. In my opinion she has more of a personality disorder or adjustment disorder, from what I know of them. Though she hears voices sometimes, I know."

Mulder said, "Most of the other profilers agree with you, sir. I'm a minority opinion. They feel she wouldn't be able to function at the level she does if she was as disturbed as I think. But I feel she makes it work for her. It energizes and focuses her."

"Semantics. It doesn't really matter. We have to stop her," the Prince said.

The pain in his voice prompted Scully who slowly said, "Sir, is she really your sister?"

The man looked in her eyes and she felt lightheaded. He said, "Yes. Jilly has had a hard life. There's a lot I don't know. Things she can't talk about...to me anyway. I think she could talk about anything with Langland. Without him... She and Langland raised me after my mother was killed."

"We met Kimberly," Mulder said.

The Prince looked at him and Mulder felt like a butterfly being pinned by those blue eyes, then the Prince turned his head to look at Kush. The big man said, "My caste brother, Angela, felt it was best not to tell you yet."

The Prince said, "Excuse me a moment," rose and went in the kitchen. They heard murmuring voices. Kush and Laconius seemed tense. The Prince returned a moment later carrying a golden cup which he sipped and sat back down.

Observing him, Scully suspected it was more than wine. Something laced with amphetamines perhaps? Or some personal blend of psychotropics. He was Jilly's brother after all and mental illness often ran in families. He caught her eyes again and she felt fear and somthing else. He said, "It's Swiss Miss. Perhaps I'll let you try it. Elvira, Clea and Fotena are impressed by you. Would you be interested in coming to work for me? There are excellent benefits. Good life and medical. Plenty of travel."

Mulder was frightened for Scully. He had no idea what was happening here. His partner seemed mesmerized and there was something overwhelming and cruel in the ironical way the Prince was speaking. Mulder said, "She's not a servant."

The Prince looked at him and Mulder felt like he was falling. The Prince said, "My girls are far more than servants. Body guards would be more accurate, though they are more than that too. It is up to Dr. Scully, not you, if she wants to come serve me. My girls have never before indicated they would welcome a new addition, and it has been a very, very, very long time." He turned his attention back to Scully. She knew she would do whatever he wanted but he released her will and said, "Think about it. No hurry. I have plenty of time."

"I..I..I don't think so. Thank you for the offer," the small woman said.

"Please say you'll think about it," the Prince said smoothly.

"I'll think about it," Scully said and meant it.

They returned to their meal. One of the maids, the only one with blonde hair, came in once and took the Prince's cup which she then returned with from kitchen. "Thank you, Fotena," he said. Then she refilled the wine glasses of the others. Mulder wondered what the Prince was drinking, then he remembered what Laconius had called him.

"Are you drinking blood?" he asked abruptly. The Prince nodded, smiled at him and sipped his drink. Mulder stood up and said, "Scully! There's a woman in the kitchen. He's drinking her blood!" He reached for his gun and found himself held in a headlock by Laconius. Scully hadn't moved. The Prince was looking in her eyes.

Laconius took Mulder's Glock 9 and released him but a pair of even stronger hands held him instead. He looked over to see Fotena. Her eyes were glowing yellow and she bared her teeth at him and there was no missing the long canines this time. Mulder looked back at Scully but she was still gazing into the eyes of the Prince of Blood, while Clea and Elvira stood behind her running their hands carressingly through her red hair.

Prince Samuel stood up and put his arm around Scully's shoulder in a friendly way. "Keep your hands off her!" Mulder yelled. Fotena picked him up with one hand and began to shake him but stopped when the Prince gestured at her. Trying to clear his head Mulder saw that his partner was just staring with a rapt expression at the tall long haired man. Kush and Laconius were keeping their faces expressionless but Mulder knew they hated this.

"Let's finish that off," the Prince said. "Bring him," he added as he walked through the door into the kitchen, stumbling slightly. Still in Fotena's tight grip Mulder saw a blonde woman who resembled Heather Locklear slumped in a chair. She was pale but breathing and her eyes were half open and glimmering in fear. An IV line with a nozzle at one end was inserted in her right arm. The Prince picked the line up and twisted something and half refilled his golden cup. Then he nodded at the three girls and said, "Go ahead."

Kush and Laconius had followed them in and were standing stiffly. "Hold him," the Prince said to Laconius, and the young man grabbed Mulder again as Fotena and her sisters moved next to the woman, who made a fearful mewing sound. Their eyes were all glowing and they were smiling. Fotena tore the IV line out and sank her teeth into the same spot, as Elvira bit the woman's throat and Clea took her other arm. The Prince was sipping his drink idly. He looked at Mulder with his piercing blue eyes. "She deserves it. I don't kill innocents. Only my enemies or the enemies of society, which is the same thing. Elvira, what did she do?"

The creature looked up at him, her mouth smeared with blood. "Credit card fraud." Then she bit down again, this time almost ripping the throat out, sending blood splattering on the wall and floor.

"There see! And she's Swiss! This isn't even her country but she's committing crimes. I don't want you to get the wrong idea," the Prince said to Mulder.

He looked back into Scully's eyes and held his cup to her lips.

"NO!" Mulder yelled before Laconius slapped a hand over his mouth. Scully obediently took a sip and then licked the blood from her lips.

The Prince looked at Kush and said, "You too?"

The big man answered, "I serve you as always, Lord."

"But you don't like it," Prince Samuel said.

"No, I do not," Kush answered calmly. The bacchae began making growling hissing sounds.

The Prince said, "I understand. I'd feel the same if I was anyone else most likely." He caught Mulder's eyes and the agent felt a kind of weakness come over him. Prince Samuel said, "Laconius, make Agent Mulder comfortable. Kush, we need to discuss some things. Wait for me in your study. Leave me and my girls alone for now."

Mulder weakly struggled as he was led out of the kitchen and then up a flight of stairs to a bedroom by the young soldier, who bound Mulder to a bedframe with his own handcuffs. Laconius said, "Don't worry, Agent Mulder. You won't be hurt. We're all on the same side here. As for your partner...the Prince said it was up to her...he won't force her. I don't know what else I can say."

"You bastard! You're lying! This makes you sick! I can see it in your eyes.

It's not her choice; he has some kind of power! You and Kush both wanted to stop him! Coward! Coward!" Mulder was almost screaming.

The young soldier looked at him. "You don't understand who Prince Samuel is." He turned and left as Mulder continued yelling curses at him.

"Admiral, a message has arrived for you. It appears to be in code."

Jilly looked at the Japanese sailor speaking to her. He was wearing a headset and sitting at a control panel alongside several other technicians. She was on her aircraft carrier, the former USS Ticonderoga that she had rechristened The Cirra. They were southeast of Hawaii and sending daily squadrons in. Honolulu was a nothing but a giant barbecue pit now, although she had lost a fair portion of her navy to Angela's wolf pack of submarines.

"Play it," Jilly ordered, setting a hand on the back of his chair.

A low voice came over the speaker. "Hey, Sis, can we go to the San Diego Zoo, huh? Please, please? I finished my homework. I'll be in front of the tigers at three PM tomorrow."

Jilly said "Have an F-14 prepared for me. Tell them to expect me in San Diego."

The huge zoo seemed odd being empty. It was full of the dead animals which had starved after everyone who cared for them had been killed or fled. Jilly frowned, regretting that. There was no way around that kind of thing happening. She'd kill a person before an animal any day. She made her way to the tiger pits and saw two figures. She was relieved Sam hadn't come alone. There could be looters around, and he was so clumsy he was well capable of tripping over his own feet and breaking a leg or something.

"Hello, Sam. Agent Scully...I knew something was up with either you or your partner."

The tall long haired man smiled, walked up and grabbed Jilly in a hug. The small red haired woman with him hadn't said anything; just standing there in her long black leather coat and dark glasses, her face pale and lips red.

"Oh, Jilly!" Sam said. "It's been too long."

"Longer for you than me, Sam. I just went back and forth to Greece. You actually lived it all. I can't even imagine what that's like," Jilly said, holding her brother's hand. "Sam...I'm not going to call it off. Don't fight me. You might get hurt by accident. At least go somewhere else. You don't have to personally be here. It's too dangerous."

"Jilly, what are you doing? You used to get on my case for impaling a few enemy soldiers. What will this accomplish?" Sam said. He did something he had never done before...he tried to use his charisma on his sister and looked in her eyes. He saw them widen.

She said in a choked voice, "God...god...so that's what all the fuss is about. If I hadn't changed your diapers, besides the fact I'm a fucking lunatic, it might even work on me."

Her voice had a wild quality to it and Sam broke eye contact. He saw she wasn't immune to him like Angela was but he wasn't going to get this from her. She was crazy and dangerous and wasn't someone to push. She'd never intentionally hurt him but she could lose control. Angela and Kush didn't realize that. They let him come because they believed Jilly was incapable of harming her brother, and Sam had allowed them to think that because he wanted to see her. If Clea, Fotena and Elvira had known what he planned they would have chained him up.

"Sam, this world stinks. I'm gonna make it like in the old days," Jilly said too forcefully.

The Prince looked sadly at her. "No, Sis. First of all, you're going to lose. I have limitless resources and at least half a dozen generals as good as you and others coming up. You can't possibly win. And, second, Jilly, even if you do somehow destroy civilization, what makes you think it'll be like Ancient Greece?"

She said harshly, "Don't underestimate me, Sam! As good as me? I don't think so...you're no judge...your pansy strategists...I'll cut their hearts out myself in the middle of their own armies...that'll take care of that..I'm JILLY! JILLY THE BUTCHER! Do you understand that? Do you?!" Her body was vibrating and starting to weave as she spoke. Sam saw his sister was struggling to control herself. She said in a calmer voice with feigned nonchalance, "When there's nothing but rubble left I'll start rebuilding. We'll have all the old texts, Homer, Herodotus, Sophocles, Gabrielle...I'll make it happen!"

"You think your mercenaries who followed you for loot and power and the few traumatized survivors you let live are just gonna morph into being Periclean Greeks?" Sam said evenly.

His sister looked uncertain for a second then said, "They will if they know what's good for 'em. If I give 'em a choice of rebuilding the Parthenon or being impaled, what do you think they'll do? You got great results with impaling, why not me?"

"Jilly...oh Jilly..."

His big sister said enthusiastically, "You'll see, Sam! When it's done you'll love it yourself! It'll be just like the old days. Queen Jilly and Good Prince Samuel."

Sam said, "No, Jilly, it won't be like the old days. It'll never happen. I won't let you destroy the world. I won't allow billions of innocent people to die just because you got Langland killed. This won't bring Langland back."

He grunted as a foot planted itself in his gut and some stiffened fingers stopped just before they crushed his throat. He keeled over. Scully pulled her gun and found herself flat on her back with Jilly standing over her, holding her gun and weaving, eyes wide and blank. The blonde took the clip out and just handed the weapon back to her.

Jilly went over and helped Sam up. "Sam...Sam...don't talk like that to me...please. Never talk like that to me." Her voice was stricken and she was pathetically petting his broad chest. She hugged her little brother again, turned and jogged away, her hair worn in a ponytail bouncing behind her. Scully came over to look with concern at Sam's pale face. "Master, are you all right?"

The Prince was still slightly hunched over but smiled down at her. "I'm all right, Dana." He put an arm around her shoulder and they began making their way to his car.

A shadow began passing over them, like night was falling. Scully looked up and gasped but the Prince glanced skyward without much interest. A huge irregular shape was blocking out the sun. The Prince said a little sharply directed skyward, "I said I was all right." The massive ominous shape began moving off. Sam looked down at Scully's frightened face and said, "Don't worry, they won't hurt you. You are mine just as they are."

As they reached his white limousine he got in the back and Scully slid behind the wheel. She was working out wonderfully. Originally he had been unsure, but his girls requested anything so rarely he certainly wasn't going to deny them this, since Dana was willing. Sam found he liked having her with him during the day. Really, he would like to keep her as she was now...have to do something about her aging, however. Scully wanted to be a bacchae though and Sam hated to disappoint any of his girls. He'd request it of Bacchus one of these days, Sam supposed.

Mulder was lying on his bed with his hands clasped behind his head. He was watching soundbites of the president's address about the cataclysmic weather conditions which had been convulsing the world. It amazed Mulder they could pull it off. The people who said it was a coverup and a war was being fought were ridiculed regularly on all the talk shows. Mulder wondered if guys like Jay

Leno and Bill Maher really believed that or if they were on the payroll. And what about all the refugees? Were the people who managed to survive Jilly all being herded into big camps somewhere so they couldn't talk about it?

There was a knock on his door. Mulder tensed and swung his legs off the bed.

"Come in," he said. The bedroom door unlocked from the outside and Scully stepped in. "How's life as a vampire slave girl? Everything it's cracked up to be?" Mulder said bitterly.

Scully looked down at herself a moment, her fair skinned body naked under the diaphanous gown. Looking back up she said, "Yeah, it's all that and more, Mulder. I'm happy. Just accept it. I hate to think of you locked up this way after all we've been through."

Mulder stood up and grabbed her shoulders. "All we've been through is why I know you would never accept this if you were in your right mind. We can get away! You aren't one of them yet."

"Mulder," she said, removing his hands from her shoulders, "you just don't understand who Prince Samuel is. That's your loss."

"I'll get you away from that bastard! I swear it, Scully!" he said. It didn't surprise him when she slapped him. She always did.

"Don't speak of Master that way!" she hissed. Mulder thought he detected something new this time. Like there was flicker of yellow in her eyes and something inhuman in her anger.

"Scully..." he started to say and she pushed him and sent him careening back rolling over the bed to bounce off the far wall.

"And it's bacchae...not vampires!" Scully spat. She left slamming the door.

Mulder got up. She had never been that strong before. Maybe her teeth looked a little longer too.

Callisto leapt up on a moving tank and put her binoculars to her eyes. She spotted the figure in a jeep talking into a headset and studying a map. "Ooooh...Xeeeenaa! I've missed playing with you soooo much!"

She swept her eyes over the approaching forces and found a truck with a red cross on it. A familiar form in green fatigues was walking beside it with a staff and wearing a helmet with a similar red cross. "And you even have your little friend!" With a wide smile Callisto looked around and yelled, "Idi!"

A motorcycle driven by black man in a brown beret went zooming by without slowing down as the blonde leapt into the sidecar. The Nigerian, with ornate scarification covering his face, glanced at her and she said, "Let's go to high ground. I wanna give my old friend a nice welcome!"

The African grunted and said, "Edelman will strike soon."

Callisto grinned and slapped Idi's shoulder. "No time like the present. I don't wanna have that hanging over me now. Know where to find him?"

The scarred face nodded. "Company 3. Right over there."

The blonde giggled and said, "Why, Idi, I do believe you are manipulating me! You don't much like Edelman, do ya?"

The African didn't answer and Callisto laughed again. In a few minutes she said,

"There he is...easy there, Idi....NOW!"

Captain Frank Edelman had been watching Callisto as she jumped from the tank into the sidecar. He wasn't sure where she was now though. Plenty of the men would follow him. That maniac Callisto was more interested in fighting than making a profit. Keeping her men alive wasn't a priority with her either, unlike Jilly who at least seemed concerned that her troops weren't slaughtered. Callisto was always in the middle of the fighting but that didn't make 'em like the situations she kept putting 'em in any better. They had an ambush planned for the next night, though if the opportunity came to frag her before that they'd take it. He'd kill Idi too. They'd hated each other ever since they were in Ghana years ago. Each tried to sell the other out and both had had to run when it turned out they were all just pawns in a scheme of Langland. The men who weren't actively with him would accept Edelman's leadership if he killed Callisto. They didn't particularly care who was in charge, as long as there was money and blood. He heard a loud roaring and was turning as the motorcyle swept by and Callisto leaned out and wrapped a chain around him, snapping a clasp shut. The man yelled in panic and rage as the motorcycle pulled him off his feet.

"Go to the end of the column, Idi. I want everybody to get a good show!" Callisto laughed gleefully. They were just riding slowly as the man tried to get to his feet and was yelling at them. Their victim was frantically clawing for his pistol, but as he reached it Callisto giggled and shot him in the hand.

The motorcyle turned spraying dirt and sending Edelman rolling and then accelerated down the line of laughing soldiers. The motorcycle was going sixty miles an hour down the rough road, with Edelman bouncing off rocks and the sides of tanks or jeeps. "Okay," Callisto said. Idi made a screeching turn as he stopped and the form went flying past them to be stopped by the taut chain. Her men were watching as she and Idi went back to look at Edelman.

"Oh, TOO GOOD!" Callisto said. He was still twitching and even moaning, though had left various pieces of himself along the way. She took the bloody chain off and tossed it back in the sidecar for next time and climbed in. Idi spat on what was left of Edelman and started the motorcyle back up and they rode off. A few men thought of putting Edelman out of his misery but decided not to. He wouldn't have for them. So they marched on and left him for whatever scavengers there might be around here.

"Xena."

The commander looked up at the figure standing in the tent door. She gestured to the two officers around her in fatigue uniforms. "Bring me word immediately when the reconnaissance planes land." They saluted and left.

"Xen..." the woman in the doorway started to say again but was cut off by the other.

"Don't call me Xena in front of my officers, Gabrielle; it's General. Remember that. They resent me anyway because I'm a woman and they think I'm a mercenary. I've gotta have their respect. You ought to remember that from the outpost and the Horde...I mean the Pomira." Xena spoke sharply, then softened at the effect she saw her words had. "Gabrielle...this is a twentieth-century army. It's not you and me and Joxer going after two-bit bandits, okay. Discipline is important."

"Okay, Xena."

"Now what is it?"

"Someone to see you," Gabrielle said and a tall long haired figure in a elegant clothes came up beside her.

Xena stood up. She went to the tent and looked out. The men were all staring at him. She inclined her head. Since she had just given Gabrielle that speech about the chain of command, she thought she ought to. Prince Samuel hadn't openly revealed himself but rumors about him were everywhere. Xena could feel the emotion of the army as he stepped into her tent and she glanced out at the men. It had been building. This war wasn't about defeating Jilly so the same old politicians could come back. More and more it was so Good Prince Samuel could rule, although he claimed repeatedly he didn't want it. Before now Xena's command didn't know what he looked like. Now her army would realize she was related to him since they bore so much resemblance to each other. That could help and hinder her. His shine might rub off on her but others would wonder if she was a commander through nepotism. She would suspect that in their position. The tall handsome man seriously said, "Kush told me you're going into a battle, with high casualties very likely."

Xena nodded. "He wants me to take the western slopes so we can be in position for a push into Manchuria. Callisto's regiment just arrived to reinforce 'em. It'll be bad."

At Callisto's name the man looked down a moment. His father had been a reincarnation of Callisto. She and Jilly were the last two people in the world he wanted to be fighting. Gabrielle squeezed his arm comfortingly. Finally Prince Samuel said, "I came to encourage the men. They did some studies and found that when I did that it improved efficiency from 22 to 34 percent." Then he brightened and said, "Thank you, Dana." A small redhead came into the tent and handed a gold cup to him which he sipped.

Xena studied the short woman in dark glasses with a long black leather coat. Sam noticed her look and said cheerfully. "Ah, my new girl. This is Dana Scully."

"We've met," Xena said frigidly as she looked back at the Prince. Samuel sighed.

"It's her choice. Ask her. Why does everyone assume the worst?" He said in an aggrieved tone. "No one is forced to serve me. I turn people away in fact; all the time. Dana, do you want to go back to your old duties and leave me?" The small woman shook her head.

Gabrielle said, "Sam...it's because when you want something choice becomes a very iffy concept."

Scully grabbed Gabrielle's shirt front and held a gun to her head.

"Dana!" the Prince said sharply and she released Gabrielle and stepped back beside him. Xena hadn't moved, knowing Sam wouldn't let Gabrielle be hurt. The blonde was shaken though. "Wait in the car," Prince Samuel ordered. Scully didn't move. "I'll be all right," he said resignedly.

Finally, the small red head walked off but not until she said to the dark woman, "I'm not Trilby with Svengali."

Xena looked puzzled at the reference then said, "The men will be glad to see you. I'm sure it will mean a lot to 'em. I'll assign you an escort, unless you want me to take you around myself."

Samuel smiled. "An escort is fine. You certainly have better things to do."

"All right, Sam," Xena said. She frowned as he drained the cup and licked the blood from his lips. Gabrielle shuddered.

The tall man smiled at the bard with his white teeth and there was something mocking and cruel in his voice when he said, "Nothing like a taste of home." He caught Xena's blue eyes with his own and she felt like she was falling though was able to quickly stop it. The Prince smiled and turned, and tripping walked toward some soldiers who began to kiss his hands.

Elvira came up behind her new sister and slid her hands under her diaphanous gown to cup her breasts. Scully smiled and turned her face to kiss her. "Ellie," she murmured. Reaching back she found the dark hair between the bacchae's legs and gently inserted a finger, finding her already wet. Clea came up and kissed Scully's white belly.

"What a pretty picture!" The Prince had come in the room. He was wearing a long white robe which had his symbol of an impaled man embroidered in a small tasteful pattern over his heart. Fotena was with him, naked, her long blonde hair cascading over her shoulders much like his dark hair.

Scully looked over at him, "Master.." she said then moaned slightly as Clea's tongue found its mark. Scully's fingers continued their movements around Elvira's clitoris. Sam and Fotena approached them. Scully got on her knees and opened the Prince's robe. She ran her tongue over the head of his rigid penis then took it in her mouth. Clea had repositioned herself and was kissing Scully's breasts and fingering her. Elvira and Fotena were kissing each other but had arms around the Prince and Scully.

Prince Samuel glanced over and said, "See, Agent Mulder. She's not doing anything she doesn't want to. The truth is out there. All you have to do is accept that." He reached down and patted the rhymically moving red hair.

Mulder was tied to a chair and gagged in a corner. He closed his eyes, excited in spite of himself. One or another of the bacchae had masturbated him several times, amused at how embarrassed he was. Mulder opened his eyes and saw Elvira eyeing him. He shook his head but she smiled at him and approached, unzipped his pants and took his hard member out and began rhythmically working her hand.

Mulder looked over and saw the Prince, Clea, and Fotena watching with amusement. Scully had a perplexed expression. The Prince tapped her on the nose and she returned to sucking him.

They were in Geneva. Walking beside Master as he spoke with a very old man, an executive with I.G. Farben, Scully didn't like the purposeful way a teenager with a shaved head seemed to be heading their way on the sidewalk. Laconius was near and Scully glanced quickly at him. She could see he was also looking at the teenager and was signaling to other men stationed on the street.

When the boy made a fast movement reaching into his plaid jacket Scully threw herself at Master knocking him down as she drew her Walther PPK and began firing. She heard a grunt behind her and saw her first bullet strike the assassin in the chest. Other bullets were also striking him. He was wearing a bulletproof vest, so Scully began aiming at his head, missing with two shots, then shooting him in left eye and seeing him drop. She whirled around to find Laconius helping Prince Samuel up. Laconius indicated the small old man and said, "He threw himself in front of the Lord Progenitor."

Prince Samuel was frowning and brushing himself off. He squatted down next to the gray haired dead man and put a hand on his bloody chest. The old man kept calling him "Fuhrer" then looked embarrassed and would apologize. Sam stood back up and looked around the street. A squad car came screeching up but the Swiss police froze when they saw Prince Samuel. He said something sadly to them in German. They saluted him.

"Come on Dana, Laconius. We're going to Argentina. I want to speak to his brother," Sam said. As they walked off Dana glanced back and saw one policeman speaking into a car radio as another remained beside the dead executive. They weren't even going to question her apparently.

"Master, your sister wouldn't send an assassin after you, would she?" Scully said. She glanced at Laconius but he was on a cell phone just like Mulder would be.

The Prince said, "No, she wouldn't. But she has a huge organization full of dangerous people and she can't keep track of everything the way Langland did. They want to win and that means killing me. She has plenty of people smart enough to see that. Only Paulie and Callisto are with her from loyalty. I'd be surprised if she had a single lieutenant who didn't have a possible plan to murder her if she wins or sell her out if it seems smart.

"That's awful!" Scully exclaimed.

"Yes...it is," the Prince agreed.

"Um, Master, what about...?" and she glanced skyward

The Prince smiled ironically. "Interesting question. The Military Caste will probably make the moon look like a garden in comparison to Earth. Then there'll be a lot of soul searching as the Lord Caste I created points out that I wouldn't have wanted that, and the Clerical and Technical Castes will start mulling it over finding subtleties I can't even imagine. Might be good in the long run for 'em. Big moral debates have a good effect on the Slithlocs. They really sink their teeth into that kind of stuff."

"Can't you order them now not to do that?" Scully asked.

"I already have but it probably won't do any good. When the Military Caste gets mad, I mean as pissed off as me getting killed would make 'em, they tend to react predictably. I think it's genetic. They can't help it. Angela will just egg 'em on. She's worse than they are. Kush would argue against it. He's pretty one of a kind for a Lord Military though."

Something else occurred to Scully. "Master, Paul Cerruti protected you as a child as well as Jilly. Why is he with her against you?"

Sam answered, "Paulie doesn't know who I am. He worked for my father and then my sister. He still is. Paulie just does what's he's told."

"What if he did know about you?" Scully asked.

Sam shrugged. "I hope he doesn't find out. I'm afraid he'd have another stroke or something. You're the doctor, Dana. What do you think?"

She remembered talking to Paulie's cardiologist and neurologist. "Master, that's definitely a possibility."

He smiled down at her. "Maybe I'm in the wrong line of work. Who knows? If I'd stayed in school maybe I coulda made something of myself."

Bodies were stacked up in high piles and ash covered the ground. The soldiers who had just taken the camp were holding weapons on the guards who looked frightened, seeing the hatred on the faces of their captors. A jeep entered the camp and stopped. It was driven by a young soldier who, like the big man riding as a passenger, wore a long black leather coat and had rings on all of his fingers. Both got out and approached the prisoners.

Laconius touched Kush's arm and pointed. The large dark man looked and saw the ovens. Far off the skyline of Paris was barely visible. The big man looked back at the prisoners.

"Who is in command?" Kush said in his deep voice. He glanced over at Laconius. He feared his young caste brother would lose control. Kush could feel his rage. "I am, I'm Colonel Esterhazy," a balding, distinguished looking man said smoothly.

Kush studied him. "How do you explain this?" he finally asked.

Colonel Esterhazy answered clearly, "I was following orders. You are a soldier yourself. We do what we are told. We do our duty."

Kush was looking at the piles of fresh naked bodies, estimating their numbers as at least a thousand. They had been killed even after it was clear the camp would be taken. "Duty...I see. Following Jilly, who up until a few months ago was nothing but a criminal, is your duty. Abandoning your NATO command because you thought you could gain wealth and power...that is your duty. You like killing, I think. That is your duty."

Colonel Esterhazy didn't respond for a moment then said, "Everyone knows your reputation, General Kush. You aren't like General Gilroy. We are your prisoners."

"So you continued murdering your victims because of that. If you had feared me as you do Angela, you would have ended your butchery sooner."

Colonel Esterhazy's hands were sweating. He repeated, "We are at your mercy, sir."

Kush looked around and said to his men, "Wait outside camp. Shoot any prisoners who attempt to leave before I summon you back."

A Captain said, "Sir?" but Kush didn't respond. The Captain looked curiously at Kush's aide but he nodded that it was all right.

The 72 camp officials and guards were carefully watchful, not sure what was going on. Secrecy was the only thing Colonel Esterhazy could imagine. Kush had to speak to him about something and would put himself at risk rather than chance a security breach. Taking Kush and his aide prisoner or killing them wouldn't accomplish anything. It would help Jilly but Colonel Esterhazy was in this for himself. Harming or taking them prisoner might bring Angela Gilroy down on his head. That wasn't a prospect he relished.

When the men had gone Kush said to Laconius, "I recall you found it most congenial when you accompanied the Lord Progenitor and I to my home."

"Yes, Lord Military. Very much so." The young man said and approached the colonel as all the men watched.

Colonel Esterhazy looked shrewdly at the young soldier who he assumed must be an intelligence officer, "Yes?"

Laconius felt a long tail growing and his face extending forward into a snout. He flicked a scaled claw and broke Esterhazy's jaw, then slashed him open with his talons as he screamed. The other men were also crying out. Kush had resumed his natural Slithloc form and leapt right into the middle of them and was ripping them apart with his claws and impaling them on his tail. Laconius flicked his forked tongue, jumped and came down on top of men who were trying to run. He broke one man's back with a whack of his tail. Another man was hysterically screaming as he stared at the unwinking black eyes under red ridges and the long teeth Laconius now had. He struck at the creature and Laconius snapped his forearm off with a bite and spat it out. Slithlocs weren't beasts. Some didn't even eat meat anymore. Several men ran out the camp gate and were shot down by the waiting eager soldiers.

The two Slithloc Militaries stood amid the carnage, their claws and tails covered with blood. Their uniforms had simply adapted to their new more bulky forms. Twenty bodies surrounded them. Thirty-three men were shot escaping the camp. The remaining 21 men were hiding amid the camp buildings: the barracks, the store sheds, the guard's infirmary, the ovens. Kush and Laconius sniffed the air with their long snouts and hissed. They could smell the men's fear, literally, and with their long tails winding behind and their tongues occasionally flicking they set off in pursuit. This wouldn't take long.

Mulder was looking with controlled hatred at Prince Samuel. They were eating dinner together. The Prince had remained unfailingly polite in spite of Mulder's insults. Samuel had warned him to watch his tongue because he could not always control his girls. Mulder had gradually acquiesced to that. Scully had punched him out several times. The Prince's bacchae felt even stronger and Mulder's life meant nothing to them at all. If he was dead he couldn't rescue Scully, and that was still what he intended to do somehow. Scully was eating with them but had helped bring the food in and the three bacchae did not serve her as they did the Prince and, reluctantly, Mulder. Scully, like the bacchae was in a diaphanous gown and nothing else. That enraged Mulder as much as anything, knowing how she would feel about that if she were in her right mind.

The phone rang and Fotena brought it to the table for the Prince. As he listened the bacchae began making soft moaning sounds and came to stand around him. Scully stood but Elvira looked at her and she sat back down.

The Prince began speaking on the phone, "You're sure, Laconius? Maybe she didn't know...oh...okay...yeah...I'm all right...thank you," He set the phone down and rose.

Samuel looked at Scully and said, "Keep your partner company a bit, Dana." He began walking out of the room. It was hard to tell if he was being supported by the bacchae or they were by him.

"What happened?" Mulder demanded. Clea turned with a hiss ready to rip his throat out but the Prince restrained her. He said, "Jilly has death camps. They captured one in France and found records for others. Ovens, the whole nine yards. China, Brazil, Texas, Idaho...makes sense, I guess. It just surprised me. They've got an instructional video she made for her executioners. They weren't efficient enough for her, apparently." He continued out of the room with the three creatures.

Scully looked blankly at her food a moment then up at Mulder. "Don't say anything, Mulder, Not right now. I mean it. You don't understand who he is.

You just don't."

"Scully, I lost my sister. I think maybe I can sympathize," Mulder said quietly. "Even with him."

Langley had his second to favorite Dungeons-and-Dragons T-shirt on. He pushed his heavy glasses back up on his hooked nose and looked at Byers in his neat suit and tie and Frohike who was wearing overalls. "That's where they are. Scully and Mulder are both in the Washington townhouse."

Byers asked, "So what do you propose we do about it?"

"Go in and rescue both of 'em," Langley said.

"No wonder we're a joke to people," Frohike said contemptuously. "Go play with your joystick, Lord Man Hammer."

Langley sneered, "You're the one talking big to Scully all the time. You just talk?"

The bug-eyed short man said angrily, "Being realistic isn't cowardice, you hippy jerkoff!"

Byers ignored them and said, "Everything big we thought we knew was wrong. But the people who were playing us were pawns themselves of Langland. It's out in the open now...we just have to look in the right places. We aren't in the rescue business. Besides Scully doesn't seem like a prisoner and we don't know Mulder is either, assuming he's there. But we do look for answers. The Washington townhouse; that's where the answers are. The encrypted communications, the officials coming and going; it's there. GPS is there."

Frohike smiled, "Much as I feel like a jerk, I don't feel as bad as those DEFCON assholes must. They thought they were the pulling the strings when they were running around in Langland's maze, pressing levers for cheese. GPS doesn't even bother with fooling 'em like Langland. I love how he sent the CEO of Boeing out for bagles and coffee the other day. Classic!" Byers and Langley also smiled.

Langley said, "I like his style too but who is GPS? A silent partner who had to surface when Langland was blown away? It's like he's some kind of cult leader; David Koresh as Pope. GPS also adopted the persona of an ancient ruler like Jilly and Langland did. Talk about role playing! Xena herself and the Sword of Ares are supposedly running around now too. Wow!"

Byers stroked his carefully trimmed beard. "The original Prince Samuel was Queen Jilly's little brother. She doted on him from all accounts."

Frohike said, "I get ya. This maniac thinks she's Jilly the Butcher so to psych her out they manufacture a Good Prince Samuel."

"That could explain Kimberly and Xena too," Langley interjected.

Frohike sarcastically raised his eyebrows. "No. Really? Don't forget Shining Kush and Captain Angela. I bet they all got makeovers just to screw with Jilly's head."

Byers said, "That makes sense but I don't think it's as simple as that. For one thing who's ultimately behind it if not GPS himself? Not who we always thought. Langland was playing them for stooges. And that also doesn't explain how everybody feels. It's not just that lunatic, Jilly, who you'd expect to fall for it. There's over seven-hundred sites dedicated to him online but officially he doesn't exist. Russia and China started cooperating after his visit. Who is he?"

Frohike and Langley shrugged.

It was night. The bell rang and the door was opened by a beautiful blonde woman dressed as a French maid.

"Special delivery for Prince Samuel. Will you sign for it?" Frohike was in a Federal Express uniform. What a babe, he thought eyeing the maid in her tight clothes. He held a small box that contained a Ginsu knife with a microphone in the handle. They only wanted a look around but figured trying to slip the bug in was worth a shot. The knife was indeed ordered for "GPS, Inc." so they had covered themselves.

The maid looked at him then at the box. She signed for it and caught his eyes. She's hot for me, Frohike thought. "Well, hellooo there...I'll bet we met in a previous life," he said.

The blonde smiled at him showing white teeth. With a mild Greek accent she replied, "I have lived only one life."

Frohike said, "Realist, huh? Don't buy that froo-froo reincarnation stuff?"

"I did not say that. Just that I have never been reborn. If I die one day perhaps I will."

Frohike chuckled suavely. "What's your name, honey?"

"Fotena...honey," the maid answered and reached out to touch Frohike's neck lightly with a graceful pale finger. He grinned confidently.

Upstairs Scully was watching the monitor with Elvira and Clealisthsia. "I'm embarrassed to know 'em," Scully moaned. She glanced over at her sisters, seeing how amused they were.

Elvira said, "Dana, are they in league with your partner?"

Scully shook her head. "Mulder would never bring 'em here. They're good with computers and research but that's all. They might have found something and are just fishing now."

Clea said, "Perhaps they hope to 'rescue' you. Like your partner does"

At the word 'rescue' Scully grimaced. She looked worridly at her sisters. "I know coming to our master's residence under false pretences is bad. But they mean well. Do we have to kill them?" She reached out as she spoke and took Elvira's hand.

Elvira said, "Since they are not assassins, perhaps we can spare them." Scully saw from Clea's eyes she disapproved. The bacchae looked at one another, communicating with their minds so that Dana could not hear. Elvira nodded. "If they learn details of how we guard Master they could aid his real enemies, even unintentionally. We cannot allow that."

"Thank you, sisters," Scully said. "I'll see to it." They were all still watching the monitor. Fotena finished toying with the troll-like man and he left with a swagger. She looked up at the surveillance camera and smiled, her eyes glowing and her long canines showing since she no longer had to disguise her nature.

The three men had just finished their Early Bird breakfast specials in the Denny's when a familiar figure walked up.

"Hi fellas. Can I join you?" she asked.

"Agent Scully! By all means!" Frohike said.

"Absolutely!" Langley said.

Byers got up to be gentlemanly and said, "Are you all right?"

Scully smiled ironically at them. She hoped to keep them alive. Her sisters would have killed them as a matter of course if not for her, especially after they examined the package and found the listening device. The three bacchae had been protecting Prince Samuel for thousands of years. They hadn't accomplished that by giving people the benefit of the doubt or second chances.

"I know you came by the townhouse last night. Just forget about it. I'm on assignment. Go looking for Oswald's missing twin or something."

Frohike said, "That hot maid was talking about me, right? I'm gonna have to be less charming."

"You really swept Fotena off her feet all right. She wouldn't mind another taste of you," Scully said drily as Frohike grinned. She looked back at Byers and Langley. "You might get hurt; no, you WILL get hurt if you come back."

"Are you actually threatening us away? Is that what you're doing, Agent Scully?" Byers said.

She tried not to lose her temper, knowing it would have the opposite result of what she wanted. Scully glanced out the diner window at the dim morning light and put her dark glasses on. Scully meant to say something diplomatic but instead dangerously whispered, "That's right. Threatening you is exactly what I'm doing." She caught herself. "I can't explain. You guys helped me and Mulder over and over. Now I'm trying to return the favor. Don't come around again, or try planting any bugs, tapping the phones, or whatever other state-of-the-art nerdery you've got up your sleeves. Stay away from the townhouse and from me or else!" She'd started calmly but by the end was almost hissing.

Langley said, "'Or else', 'or else'! You've been brainwashed, Agent Scully! Don't worry though, we'll save you! And Mulder too!"

"I second that!" Frohike said, hitting the table for emphasis.

Scully felt her anger rising. Since joining her sisters she had been becoming more and more emotional. And she wasn't even a true bacchae yet although she wanted to be. She stood up quickly, grabbed both Frohike and Langley by the collars and pulled them to their feet. Scully bared her teeth, wishing she had long beautiful canines like her sisters. Perhaps soon.

"Listen you pathetic geeks! Stay away or you're gonna find yourselves shishka-bobbed on a flagpole!" She released them with a shove and they fell back into their chairs. She looked at Byers who hadn't moved. "John, you have your head screwed on straight, at least comparatively. I don't need rescuing. Mulder doesn't need rescuing. Walk away before you get hurt. And take them with you!" She turned and left the diner, slamming the door behind her so the glass rattled.

"We have to save her!" Frohike said.

Byers looked after her. "Agreed," he said.

Langley was nodding vigorously. Then he said, "Can you believe how strong she is? Man!"

"What a woman!" Frohike chimed in.

Fox had just stepped out of the shower and was drying himself when he heard a knock on his door and Scully's voice calling, "Mulder, I need to talk."

He called "Hold on!" and came out wrapping a towel around himself. "Come in." The door unlocked and Scully came in. Mulder was surprised to see she was back in her normal clothes. "Are you...?" he started to say.

"Nothing's changed. I talked to the three stooges. They're snooping around."

Mulder said, "Uh oh. Do you mind turning around so I can put some clothes on?" Scully made a derisive snorting sound. Mulder turned around himself and pulled shorts and a T-shirt on. Scully's sense of modesty had completely disappeared. She also had a quicker temper now. Along with the way she felt about Prince Samuel, those were the only changes he could see. How could he convince her she was brainwashed when she was as smart as ever? She had become uninhibited. And that's bad because...?

Turning back around he saw she was watching him and smiling. "I never realized what nice buns you have, Mulder. Course when I've seen you naked before you were usually shot or we were both in a vat of demonic slime or something."

"God, Scully, listen to yourself! That's not you talking," Fox said fiercely. At her mocking expression he resignedly said, "What about Byers, Frohike and Langley?"

"They wanna save me. Probably hope to find out all they can, too. Mulder, the only reason they're still alive is I told the others I'd take care of it. I tried to warn'em off but that had about the effect you'd expect." Scully was speaking in frustration. "We don't kill innocents, Mulder. But when they come around like that....well, they stop being innocent as far as my sisters are concerned."

"What about the Prince?" Fox asked.

Scully answered, "We don't bother him with things like this. He's got enough to worry about. You just don't understand who he is, Mulder. What he carries on his shoulders....it makes me wanna cry....poor Master!"

Mulder shook his head in disgust. "Okay...so you want me to talk to the boys?"

She nodded. "They have to stop, Mulder. If they don't they're dead. It's that simple."

"Scully, it might not be easy for me to convince 'em since I think they're right. You do need rescuing and this just shows how on the money they are." He held his hand up to stop her protest. "But it's out of their league. "

"And yours too, Mulder," she said coldly.

He didn't respond.

"Mulder, Fotena is as good with computers as they are. They try to hack in here and she spots it...she'll just grab Clea and that'll be all she wrote."

Fox curiously said, "What about Elvira?"

Scully said, "Usually she takes the lead. But she's the one who agreed to let 'em live if they walk away now. Fotena and Clealisthsia didn't like it."

"Scully, is there something else going on here?" He said carefully, wondering if this was the opening he needed. A rift among the bacchae.

"God, Mulder! I just said that to make you understand what'll happen if those guys try absolutely anything. Never mind about Elvira. I shouldn't be talking about it to you."

"Why?"

"This is like a family, Mulder. I'm coming in and upsetting what's worked fine up to now, at least as far as Fo and Clea were concerned. They love me and I love them but it's sticky, okay?"

"You love them? Scully, they're three thousand year old vampires!"

"That is such a bigoted, narrow minded thing to say, Mulder, that I'm not even gonna dignify it with a response. And they're bacchae not vampires." She added, "Not that there's anything wrong with that."

"Of course not," Mulder agreed, unsure how else to respond.

The large gray cat leapt up onto the new television set and stared balefully at the old woman. Janice Covington took a puff on her cigar and said, "I know, Ares, I know. You think I don't?" She pushed the bushy tail aside and turned the TV on and CNN came up. She sat down watching as the cat's tail swished angrily in front of the screen before the big feline leapt off and disappeared out the cat door. A national security advisor was ridiculing the rumors that were circulating. There were a few hot spots like always but nothing like what hysterical paranoids were claiming. Then she watched the meteorologists discussing the relation of the anomalous weather to global warming. The worst of the storms had moved on from Europe and were in Asia now as he showed on the weather satellite pictures. The Western hemisphere was largely calm, though the storm cleanup would take a long while, and the terrible loss of life would never be forgotten. Janice was making notes as she listened.

"Jackass," she muttered as she rose and started pushing colored pins into a large world map on one wall. She studied it. "Manchuria....about goddamn time," she said to herself, then puffed more on her cigar frowning. Jilly was being crushed. Never stood a chance after her brother showed up. She was making a stand in China.

"There is no Good Prince Samuel. Let me state that unequivocally. Send the kids out the room. I'll wait. Okay? There's no tooth fairy or Santa Claus, either. I wish there was."

The old woman turned at the words and looked at the trustworthy news anchor. She smiled cynically. Sam had gotten so big that they couldn't just ignore him anymore. Janice could read the signs. They didn't want to make the same mistake as the German industrialists and aristocrats who thought they could use Hitler. They needed him but feared him. She wondered if any were dumb enough to try and kill him. Probably. Janice had finally gotten a computer at the same time as the television so she could follow events. All those sites dedicated to him and it was all bullshit. Just the fact of their existence though said something. People were electrified by nothing but rumors.

There was one site, however, that seemed to actually have something to it; it wasn't a Good Prince Samuel fan site. It was a grim little thing called The Lone Gunmen, and at first look it seemed just another crank page. She was mentioned herself on it in passing because of her findings about the Sword of Ares. Instead of swooning over some juvenile vision of Samuel as King Arthur, the site succintly gave what was known about the original Queen Jilly and her brother and said straight out a war was being fought and leaders on both sides had modeled themselves after them. The site moved around a lot since they were constantly being booted off by their servers, no doubt with some encouragement from whatever agency handed out licenses. The old woman could imagine what they were like, having known gadflies who stuck their necks out trying to tell people what Franco and Hitler were like, back when they were the darlings of assholes like Henry Ford who bankrolled 'em. Der Furher had a painting of Ford in his office to the very end.

She hadn't liked what she saw when she checked their site today. Janice could see they had actually zeroed in on Sam, mentioning Washington, D.C. and a townhouse, naming people coming and going. The bacchae wouldn't like that either. She could call up the picture in her mind of over a hundred German soldiers impaled on makeshift stakes torn from fences and barns. They had tried to harm their master. Now these guys were trying to harm him; that'd be how his girls looked at it. Once in France during the war Janice had been warned the Gestapo would be coming for her. The man who warned her refused to leave with her and Mel. He'd stay and keep on putting out his paper; said he had a "secret plan." She remembered how annoying Marcel was in a lot of ways. The Gestapo coming for Janice beat him to death beside his own printing press. Janice chewed on her cigar. The old archaeologist picked her phone up. She had to arrange for somebody to take care of Ares.

They glanced nervously at the door when the bell rang then looked at the monitor. It was a small elderly woman wearing a wide brimmed hat and men's clothes.

"She looks familiar," Byers said curiously, then got up and went to answer the door. "Yes," he said politely to the little old lady.

Janice Covington sized him up. He wasn't as eccentric appearing as she had anticipated. The two others fit the bill though. "You guys the Lone Gunmen?"

"Who wants to know?" Frohike said trying to be cagey.

"Oh brother," Janice said and took out a cigar and lit it. She squinted up at Byers. "I'm Janice Covington."

Byers said, "Of course! I recognize you from the book jacket. I read Journey to Amphipolis in college. Come in! Please!" He backed up and she looked ironic and followed him in. The other two had stood up, a tall guy with long blonde hair and a litte guy with a lined face and a ponytail. Both were dressed ridiculously in her opinion.

She said to the three men. "I'll make this simple. There's someone I owe a lot to. He's dead and gone but you guys are just like him. So helping you is how I'm gonna do something for him."

"Um...how are you going to help us?" Byers said.

Janice hoped she wasn't as useless as she had been fifty years before. "You boys have to lay off Prince Samuel. For one thing, he's trying to save the world. For another, you're gonna wind up like hotdogs on a stick if you keep sniffing around. His people play hardball."

Langley said, "Did Scully send you?"

Janice said with surprise. "No. FBI agent? Little redhead?"

"You know that's who," Frohike said sharply. "She said the same thing to us. Even threatened us the same way. Well, no dice! We're gonna tell the world about Prince Samuel when we uncover all there is to know about him! Nobody elected him. He's just some power broker."

Janice waited a moment before answering, wanting to shake sense into them but knowing that wouldn't work. "You should've listened to her. That was good advice."

Byers spoke up. "Thank you for your concern, Dr. Covington. But we will continue our investigation. We can handle ourselves. What is your interest, if I may ask?"

"You can, huh?" Janice said sarcastically. She glanced at Langley and thought I'll bet he can handle himself. She answered, "My interest is trying to save your dumbass lives, like I said. Oh, and as a human being I'm interested in stopping Jilly from destroying civilization. You're helping Jilly by getting in Prince Samuel's way. Who would you prefer? Someone trying to save everybody or someone trying to kill everybody, because that's the choice. Listen, he's nobody to cross, believe me. I've seen what can happen. You don't want to." Janice was trying to not say too much. If she gave them something new and it showed up on their site, that could bring the bacchae. She had half expected to find them skewered on chair legs already.

Byers said reasonably, "We understand what you are saying about the fight against this so-called Jilly the Butcher. It's not like we're stealing the timetable of D-Day for her. But what happens after Jilly's defeat, Dr. Covington? We want the truth about Prince Samuel. We're acting now because after the war it may be too late. For god's sake, according to official sources he's not even real, but he might be ruling us all in a few months. What if he's not so nice once he's won? You know more than we do and you're making our case. You're saying we should be scared. That's exactly why someone should shine a light on him."

Janice chewed her cigar angrily. She couldn't out argue 'em anymore than she could out argue Marcel. Janice actually agreed with almost everything Byers had just said. She'd given some thought to what would come later herself. But mixed in with everything they were right about was their delusion that they could handle what could be coming their way. Just like Marcel thought he could talk his way out with the Gestapo or whatever stupid idea he had. Janice wished Mel were here. She'd have these dopes eating out of her hand by charming and flattering them. Or maybe not. Marcel had practically worshipped Mel like a lot of homosexual men. They loved that Southern Lady stuff. But Mel couldn't get him to run from the Gestapo either.

"You won't accomplish anything if you're dead," she said hoplessly. She had said those same words to Marcel. She could still see him: his frizzy hair and cokebottle glasses and that supercilious expression like he knew something she didn't. She'd waited as long as she could then left, dragging Mel who was crying. She looked back once and seen the long black leather coat of a Gestapo officer and the SS troopers who were kicking in Marcel's door.

Langley said, "You're brainwashed just like Scully. But we'll save you, too, Dr. Covington, when we get to the bottom of this!"

Janice made a disgusted sound. "I tried. 'Brainwashed.' Scully seemed brainwashed? How?"

Byers answered, "She was acting differently. Short tempered, even violent. We've known her for years and Agent Scully is nothing like that. GPS has done something to her."

The old woman was listening closely. "Was this at night when you saw her?"

Langley said, "What difference does that make?"

"No, in the morning. She claimed she was at the townhouse on assignment." Byers said.

Janice thought about that. Scully was trying to keep these schmoes from ending up in the morgue too. That fit from what she'd seen of her. Scully could really be on assignment. Why not? Though if she was acting that differently...and knew enough about Sam to threaten 'em with impaling...there could be more to it.

Frohike smiled and said arrogantly, "Anyway I'm going back cuz I wanna see Fotena. That little lady needs some TLC."

"Who?" Janice said carefully.

"A maid at the townhouse. Hot blonde with a sexy accent," Frohike said with a leer. "She was giving me the eye." He winked at Janice.

They had actually gone there and met at least one of the bacchae, Janice realized. What were they doing still alive?

Fotena had risen from her daily death, taken a shower and brushed her teeth. Now with her hair in curlers and wearing an oversize T-shirt with Betty Boop on it, the blonde bacchae went to one of her computers and began checking the internet for anything of note to Master. She never even bothered looking at the many sites devoted to his worship after an initial examination. Their existence pleased her and her sisters really. It was right and proper for Master to be exalted.

There were other sites, however. Sites produced by evildoers seeking to harm Master. Some mocked him. She and her sisters would allow harmless jibes to go unpunished but occasionally coarse humor was directed at him. Those they sought out for punishment. She and her sisters never drank them, considering such purveyers of filth to be too foul. There were others too who warned against their Master. They were traitors to their own kind. They too were only punished if they became too insulting. Now Fotena checked the site of those men known by her sister Dana and allowed to live against their better judgment. The one she had toyed with had been amusing; he was such a fool but thought he was so clever. Their site called The Lone Gunmen was interesting. Along with ridiculous theories about flying saucers and government conspiracies it gave true information about Master and his sister from the distant past which was of no danger. It did not praise Master as it should but did not denigrate him either. Now as she looked at its newest entries she began to softly growl. Her sister Clea, also wearing curlers but with Van Gogh sunflowers on her T-shirt approached and looked at the monitor as well.

"What is it?" Dana asked. She and Elvira had come in, both naked, looking like they had been interrupted at their sport.

Fotena indicated the monitor and her sisters approached. The townhouse was mentioned, even the neighborhood. It named industrial and political leaders who were seen coming and going. It called Master a power broker who had to be watched and probably had evil intentions when the war was won.

Elvira said, "Dana...."

Scully eyes were blazing and she bared her teeth. "They were warned! Sisters, I'm ashamed! I'll make'em suffer for this wickedness!"

"No need for that, Dana. Killing them is enough," Elvira said. Clea and Fo agreed but understood how Dana felt. She was still young and new in the ways of serving Master. They would be disappointed in her if she were not zealous to avenge such outrages.

Dana checked the load in her Walther PPK and slipped extra clips of ammunition into one pocket and a switchblade in another. Under the long black leather coat she wore a white T-shirt, a black miniskirt, fishnet stockings and boots with stiletto heels. Her red hair was slicked back and had a glossy sheen. At a sound she looked up and saw Mulder. Dana put her dark glasses on.

"Where ya going, Scully? Killing somebody for your lord and master?" He was sarcastic.

She just lifted the gun and aimed at his heart. "You if you ever use that tone about him again, Mulder."

He froze. "Okay," he said and Scully put her gun in the holster she wore under her coat in back. "Scully, I'm gonna go talk to the boys today. I can get 'em to stop."

The pale woman looked at him, reached into a pocket and pressed something. Mulder said, "What?" as two guards appeared and grabbed him.

"Lock him up. Don't hurt him," Dana said and walked toward the front door of the townnhouse, as the guards starting hauling Mulder struggling back to his room.

"Scully! You're an FBI agent! Remember that! They've helped us! They're our friends." He yelled at her from the top of the stairs.

Dana stopped and looked back up at him. "Some things are more important than that. It's your loss that you don't understand that, Mulder. I hope someday you will." She turned and continued out of the townhouse as Mulder was flung into his gilded cage and the door locked after him.

"It's Agent Scully!" Frohike said.

"Cool look! Hold on, Agent!" Langley called to her through the door.

Janice had been looking through some of the back issues of The Lone Gunmen. She looked up as all three of 'em were going to the door to welcome Scully. "No!" She got up as fast as she could manage. She hated being an old lady, hated it, HATED IT! She used to dodge Nazi assassins and now she had to worry about slipping and breaking a hip! Those idiots were about to open the door though they stopped and looked curiously at her.

"What?" Langley said.

Janice had just reached them. She was relieved since she recognized Scully's 'cool look'. Then Byers opened the door.

"Goddamnit!" she said and used all of her strength to push them away and she flattened to the floor. The shots were deafening. Part of her mind thought it sounded like something European. A Walther maybe. Those idiots were scrambling away as Scully came walking in holding the smoking gun and scanning the room. Janice was afraid she HAD broken a hip. She was trying to get to her old .45 but she couldn't seem to move too good. Then the gun was pointing down at her.

"What are you doing here?" the cold face pale face said to her from behind dark glasses.

Janice was still trying to surreptitiously get to her weapon. Scully reached down and took it, then said. "Do you have osteoporosis?"

The old woman said, "Yeah."

Scully nodded and said, "I'm a doctor. As soon as I finish what I came for I'll take care of you."

"You mean murder your friends!" Janice spat at her.

The Walther PPK came back to aim at Janice's face. "They aren't my friends. They aren't anybody's friends." Scully paused. "You came to warn them away like I tried to. Kindness and concern is wasted on fiends who would harm the Prince of Blood. He's weighed down by cares and trying to save us all, and they repay him like this. My sisters knew what they were. I had to learn for myself."

Byers stood up followed by Frohike and Langley. The neatly dressed man said, "Fiends? How often have we helped you and Mulder?"

Scully didn't answer but smoothly brought the gun up preparing to shoot Byers between the eyes.

"You'll have to kill me too! I'm a witness!" Janice said, through gritted teeth. Her hip hurt like hell.

"Fine. You're aiding the wicked," Scully said.

Janice said, "Maybe I am, maybe I'm not...but I'm under your Master's protection. He ordered your sisters years ago not to harm me. I'm important to his bloodline. Get that, Agent Scully? I'm important to the blood. The blood is the life, Agent Scully. Know what he calls me? Aunt Janice. He was the little boy in the pictures with Kimberly and Jilly that you and your partner saw."

Scully was about to shoot Byers but stopped. The old woman continued in a rush. "You don't have to believe me. Call your sisters. Call your Master."

Frohike made a fast dash for the door and Scully shot him in the shoulder and he fell moaning. She said, "All right."

Byers started to say, "Agent Scully..." but stopped as the gun came back to aim at him, then gestured at Frohike.

She said, "I'll tell you how to take care of him. Don't try anything else."

"Thank you," Janice said from her position on the floor. The cold face came back to look at her but didn't speak. Scully knelt and began examining the old woman's hip, but keeping an eye on the frightened men.

Prince Samuel was reading a report from the cigarette smoking man about political parties jockying for power in Italy. All were making secret overtures to him. He was sitting on a leather couch beside Clea who was leaning against him as she wrote in her journal. Fotena was in her laboratory and Elvira was reading a Tom Clancy novel and sitting near the various phones and computers and televisions linking the townhouse with the outside. A phone rang and she picked it up. Clea set her journal down. Fotena came in. Sam looked up at the activity and what he sensed.

"What is it?" he said.

Elvira said, "Our sister asks to kill Janice Covington."

Sam rose and took the phone. "What's going on, Dana?" He listened for a few minutes, and glanced at his girls. "She said that?.... No, but I still don't want you to hurt her. Put her on......Hello Aunt Janice.... I hear you're not feeling too good. What's that line of bull you were spouting? Well, yeah you are still alive...... What are they to you?.....I'm still alive aren't I? I'd say that's a pretty good argument for my trusting their judgment....Put Dana back on."

The three men were tied up, Frohike also had a bandaged shoulder. They were fearfully watching Scully talking on a cellphone. Then she handed it to the old woman and now Covington had given it back to her and she was speaking again. Finally she punched in new numbers and said for two ambulances to be sent for a shoulder GSW and an elderly patient with a broken hip. Scully put the cellphone back in her pocket, and the gun also disappeared in her clothes.

The redhead took her dark glasses off. "Looks like you were right, Dr. Covington. Though you exaggerated a bit. I'm glad. I didn't wanna shoot you."

"Call me Janice. Like I told Sam, I'm still alive aren't I."

Scully smiled but it disappeared when she looked at the bound men. "If there's a next time, fellas, even she won't be able to save you."

Janice prayed they at least knew to keep their mouths shut now.

Byers said, "This won't stop us. You're brainwashed, agent. We'll save you."

Frohike and Langley both looked as horrified as Janice felt. Scully put her dark glasses back on and went to stand over the neatly dressed man looking defiantly at her. She knelt down and untied him and the others, then waited for the private ambulance crews, who she directed when they arrived.

Mulder was watching a Jerry Springer show about amputees in rural Alabama. "Come on, dump him...you can do better than that," he mumbled to himself. Julia shouldn't take Lyle back, not after he admitted to having sex with their two sisters, a nephew, and a neighbor's blind dog. Fox wasn't locked in his room for a change since the Prince and Scully were gone. Mulder felt like Boo Radley, the idiot brother kept out of sight so he wouldn't embarrass the family. He wasn't exactly a prisoner. They wanted him to leave but he insisted on staying because of Scully. As long as he was there they were gonna keep him on a leash since they knew he wanted to "rescue" his partner. At a sound Mulder looked curiously up at a boy who came in the living room.

"Hello," Mulder said.

"Hi," the boy said. He had red hair and green eyes that looked incongruous with his almond colored skin. He was carrying a basketball. "Wanna shoot some hoops?"

Mulder said, "Sure," and clicked the TV off. It just made him mad anyway, watching Julia throw herself away on a jerk like Lyle.

There was an indoor court downstairs. They were playing one on one. Mulder realized the boy wasn't as old as he had assumed. He'd thought he was 13 or so but he was just a tall ten if that. He was pretty good but Mulder could still show him a thing or two.

"Karn," they heard and turned.

"Hi, Laconius. Where's my mom and dad?" the boy said brushing his sweaty hair out of his face.

The soldier's right hand was hidden inside the long Gestapo-wear coat. Mulder doubted he wanted to see whatever Laconius was holding.

"Lord Kush and Captain Angela are serving the Lord Progenitor. How did you get here?" the young man said.

"A Lord Military said she'd received orders to bring me. So here I am," the boy said, and bounced the basketball.

"Orders from who?" Laconius said.

The boy shrugged. "I dunno. Lord Caste, I guess."

"Is anyone else here?"

Karn said, "Nope, just me and Mulder. I saw some of Uncle Sam's stuff was around though. Guess there's guards outside but they didn't see me."

Laconius said, "Let me talk to Agent Mulder alone, Karn."

"Ah, Laconius..."

"Go on," he repeated. The boy left and the soldier came walking over to Mulder. He took his hidden hand from his coat and Fox saw a shotgun that had its barrel sawed off and its stock replaced with a custom made pistol grip. He cocked it but didn't aim it. "What were you doing with him?"

"Shooting baskets," Fox answered.

The soldier stared at him then uncocked the weapon and replaced it in his coat. Fox saw he had a special holster sewn into the garment.

"I'm sorry, Agent Mulder. You would never hurt him, I know. For Karn to just arrive unannounced...it surprised me."

Mulder said, "He's being used as a pawn somehow."

Laconius nodded, frowned and glanced skyward. "Whatever it is, it's nothing to do with you and me unless you're a lot more important than I think you are. Nothing personal."

"I thought Captain Angela was Prince Samuel's consort?" Mulder said, remembering the history books.

Laconius looked uncomfortable. "She is."

"But Karn is the child of Kush and Angela?" Mulder said curiously.

"It's complicated and I can't talk about it." Laconius said firmly. Mulder suspected the soldier might not know the whole story himself.

Changing the subject, Mulder said, "Where's Scully?"

Laconius answered, "With the Prince and doing a fine job. Just accept this, Agent Mulder. You can't do anything about it anyway and you aren't accomplishing anything here. There is still much to do in the fight against Queen Jilly. You should be taking part in that."

"Yeah, I guess I don't have a choice."

Laconius smiled slightly. "I know you don't mean that. But don't worry, just say the right things. You aren't stupid enough to try and harm the Prince; and it's not as if your partner would cooperate with any plan you might devise to take her."

Mulder didn't answer. There was nothing to say.

The soldier continued, "If he's so bad why is he protecting you, Agent Mulder? The bacchae would like nothing better than to kill you. Your partner would kill you herself if the Prince told her to."

Mulder replied seriously, "I can see he's not some cartoon monster. He's a complicated guy and considering everything could be a lot worse. But Scully would never have joined him like that of her own will. You know that, Laconius."

The soldier frowned and looked away. Then he said, "There's nothing you can do. There's nothing I can do even if I wanted to, which I don't. You can't understand the weight of responsibility the Lord Progenitor carries, and has carried for...well a long time."

Mulder said angrily, "So that makes it all right for him to just take Scully like he was buying a goldfish?"

Laconius said, "In the big scheme of things, yes. You know I dislike it, Agent Mulder. So does Kush, whose opinion means considerably more than mine. The Lord Progenitor is saving the world from his sister. But nothing comes without a price."

"Scully," Mulder said bitterly.

"Scully," Laconius said.

Scully was looking in the mirror, puzzled. Was Mulder right? she wondered. She didn't feel any different. She had just been working on an article for The Journal of Forensic Hematology, in fact. Blood fascinated her now. She didn't require it but she loved the taste and was learning to distinguish the different varieties. She had witnessed seven killings for blood but hadn't taken part. Scully wanted to but her sisters had prevented her, saying it was not yet time. Look at how she was dressed: she was practically naked. Why wasn't she embarrassed? Instead she felt overdressed now in anything else. Mulder would be leaving soon. He had finally said he accepted it. They all knew he was lying. She'd be amazed if he didn't keep trying to convince her. As long as he didn't try to harm the Prince or "rescue" her he could do whatever he wanted. If he tried to injure Master she'd kill him herself, no matter what the Lord said.

"Dana."

Scully turned at the low voice and saw Elvira looking at her. Her long black hair almost seemed to shimmer against her pale skin. The beautiful bacchae wore a transparent gown similar to her own, her full breasts white through the sheer fabric. Scully smiled and felt herself falling into her sister's eyes but then Elvira said sharply, "No!" and the sensual descent stopped.

"Yes, Ellie?" Scully answered curiously.

Elvira approached, reached a white hand out and stroked Scully's cheek softly.

"Do you understand what you are doing, Dana?"

"Of course," Scully answered clearly.

Elvira looked deep into Scully's blue eyes with her own glowing yellow ones. "It was selfish of us to desire you. Master in his kindness took you. Your friend blames the Prince but he would never have taken you without our urging."

Scully said, "Have I failed him? Or my sisters?"

Elvira shook her head. "No. But when he turned to us for comfort at the news of how far his sister has degenerated, I realized how wrong your presence was.

We and Master have been together for millenia. We were created by Bacchus expressly to serve him."

"I love serving Master! I love my sisters! I love you, Ellie!" Scully said.

Elvira said, "You do not know what you love or do not love. How can you hope to withstand Master when nature itself bends to his will? It is our guilt not his. Or, truly, my guilt. I see now my wish that you and I could be as Fotena and Clealisthia are to one another. My sisters saw that and helped me in my selfishness."

Scully smiled sensuously, "Why not?" She took Elvira's hand and kissed the fingers until the bacchae abruptly pulled them away.

"Because you would never choose that, Dana! Because I will not make use of you in such foul fashion! I'm not some filthy god!" Elvira turned and fled the room leaving Scully looking after her.

"Where's Kush?" Angela snapped at the soldier who came to attention as she came sweeping into her Salt Lake City headquarters.

"Visiting the wounded, General Gilroy," the guard said.

Angela muttered to herself, "Oh, brother." She sat at a desk behind a computer terminal and her fingers played over the keys. She had a slight intake of breath as she saw the updated estimation of the death toll and the current position of Jilly's forces worldwide. Angela commanded the armies in North and South America and the Pacific. Kush had Europe and Africa and there was overlap in Asia as Kush was coming from the West and Angela the East. She wished he got the MacArthur and Eisenhower jokes she kept making but he just looked blankly at her.

They would win ultimately. Sam had more troops, resources and even several commanders who were as good or better than Jilly. Personally only she and Kush were on a par with Jilly, but Ahmat, Xena, and Kimberly and at least five admirals and generals were all better strategists. Except it was a tricky situation because Jilly was trying to destroy civilization. So in a way this war was giving her exactly what she wanted, spreading devastation. And Callisto...as if this whole mess wasn't bad enough Callisto had to show up.

Jilly wasn't restraining Callisto from atrocities like the rest of her command, just the opposite. She had let her old mentor form her own regiment and Jilly used them as shock troops. They were different from that elite regiment. Angela had some professional respect for them even though she considered them traitors; that she was disappointed in them was one reason they made her so mad and she always killed any she could catch. These guys with Callisto weren't elite; they were a buncha friggin' homicidal maniacs, Angela thought grimly.

Jilly had literally searched her troops for men with mental disorders and/or bad discipline problems and turned 'em over to Callisto who divided 'em into groups of a hundred and then gone from group to group repeating the same procedure. She looked 'em over and asked who thought they could take her. Six to ten men usually came forward. One at a time she kicked their asses and then had them chained to a couple jeeps and torn in half. After the first man the rest all tried to back down. Callisto smiled sweetly but told 'em them if they didn't fight her she would still chain them to the jeeps. A couple of men always just collapsed and cried as their hands and feet were attached to the bumpers. Callisto didn't have many discipline problems after that.

Callisto was running it like her old army in Greece. Promotions were through duels and Callisto had made it clear that included her. Angela smiled grimly at what Jilly would do if someone did manage to kill Callisto and tried to claim her position. Callisto had told 'em Jilly would welcome 'em with open arms.

Right, Angela thought.

"General..." the guard said again. Angela looked up and saw Kush's tall broad shouldered frame enter the room.

"Hey," Angela said.

"My fine brother, Angela. It is good to see you."

Angela looked closely at the big man when she heard his tone. She stood up.

"Get lost," she ordered the soldier. The tall red head walked up to the dark man.

"What's wrong, Kush?"

"The waste of so much life is a terrible thing. So many of our caste brothers; so many members of other castes." He spoke quietly in his deep oddly accented voice.

Angela sighed and said, "Were you this sensitive when you were commanding a ship for the Slithlocs? I thought the Military Caste, especially you Lord Militaries, were such a buncha bad mothers."

Kush answered. "In those days I only valued the life of my caste brothers. The Lord Progenitor taught us to value all the castes as our own. Now I find myself valuing all life equally. I no longer eat meat, brother."

Angela whistled. "Oh man...is this only you or are other militaries thinking this way? An attitude like that throws a monkey wrench in the old job description, Kush. Wait a minute, did Sam put you up to this? The veggie stuff? He must've. That's hilarious. Really hilarious!"

Kush answered seriously, "No, brother. I am not joking and I am not alone in this. Others of the Military Caste are reassessing their beliefs. Not many but some. Why?'

Angela looked up at him. "Kush, I was a vegetarian. That's what you are now though maybe you don't know the word. When I first met Sam I was this real Green Peace backing, tofu-eating, tree hugger. Ares put Sam in danger so I would have to save him and I never looked back. Ares used me but I loved it. I love to kill, Kush. Probably in a way you never did. But I like it. I love it!"

Kush was listening closely to her. "I would learn more of your beliefs when you were a 'tofu-eating tree hugger.' As for the rest, I know that you are very stimulated by killing, Angela. There have been Lord Militaries who feel the same and have written about it. I will provide their writings to you."

Angela said, "Thanks, Kush. I'd like to read 'em. You ever read 'em yourself?"

"What was required of me. No more. I am much more drawn to native writing."

"Like what?" Angela asked.

"The sonnets of Mr. William Shakespeare, the poetry of Mr. John Keats, Mr. Percy Shelley, and Mr. William Wordsworth," the big man answered. "And, Mr. William Blake, although it makes me question perhaps too much."

Angela looked at him and shook her head. "God, you're a class act." Her voice changed and she said, "Anyway, what are you doing here? I thought you were planning a big offensive to take back Manchuria? That's gonna be some heavy shit going down there. Jilly's really entrenched in China. Home grown warlords have sprung up and thrown in with her. Traitorous scum."

Kush answered, "Yes, it likely will be most hard fought with much loss of life. I have been examining weapon prototypes which may be useful in the terrain.

Before I return, I came to speak with you about the Lord Progenitor."

"Sam? What about him?" Angela said warily.

"I fear he is distracted and fatigued and doing something he would not do otherwise. Perhaps you can influence him. He has taken a new bacchae."

"A NEW bacchae? It's just been Sam and his three girls forever. He can't create bacchae. Only Bacchus can." Angela said.

"Perhaps Bacchus will transform Dr. Scully for the Lord Progenitor."

Angela exploded, "Scully! Sam has Agent Scully prancing around barefoot in a see-through nightie?" Kush nodded.

"She flying, got the teeth and everything? Drinking blood?" Angela said furiously.

"I have only witnessed her drinking blood. That was several weeks ago, however."

Angela said, "He screwing her?"

Kush didn't answer.

"I'll kill him! I'm really gonna kill him!"

Kush said, "Brother..."

Angela said tiredly, "It's just a figure of speech, Kush. What about her partner?"

"He refuses to accept the situation and will not leave. The bacchae would slay him but the Lord Progenitor has forbidden it. Dr. Scully has told him it is her choice but he does not believe it," Kush answered.

Angela said, "Choice...that's a laugh. Like anybody but me can say no to Sam about anything. What a selfish jerk."

"Brother..." Kush began to say.

"I know. It makes you uncomfortable to hear me talk that way. You're right...he wouldn't do that if he wasn't stressed out. I'll go talk to him when I've got some free time. Where are they? The townhouse?"

"Yes," Kush said. "Laconius has been trying to calm Agent Mulder. He angers the bacchae with his quick tongue. The Lord would regret the death."

"Yeah, he would," Angela agreed. She added with resignation, "Even the Emperor of the Universe is a slave to his dick."

Kush answered, "Indeed. I must return to my caste brothers in Manchuria."

"There she is, General," a lieutenant said, pointing as he handed a pair of binoculars to Xena who swung them onto the slight figure. As Xena focused on the blonde hair, Callisto brought a hand up and waved hello. The dark woman clamped her temper down at the flashing smile.

Xena glanced around and said to a sniper, "Soldier, throw me your weapon." As she brought the crosshairs to bear Callisto waved bye-bye and disappeared behind a tank. Xena tossed the sniper rifle back to the soldier.

"You shouldn't let her get under your skin that way. It's unprofessional."

Xena turned to look at the speaker, a powerful looking man with dark curly hair and a heavy mustache. Like herself he was in fatigues and had four stars on his collar.

"Ahmat," she said and nodded her head in greeting. "I know. We have a history though. It's personal for both of us."

The Indian shrugged and smiled as Gabrielle came up and handed cups of tea to both he and Xena. After taking a sip he seriously said, "We have to attack, Xena. I understand how you feel...it's going to be a bloodbath. Putting it off will only make it worse."

Gabrielle looked at her friend who didn't betray any emotion.

"I agree, Ahmat. We just weren't in position yet."

Ahmat listened. "All right. I'd have begun before now but I can see it as just a difference of opinion. Within 48 hours, Xena?"

"Within 48 hours, Ahmat," she answered.

Ahmat nodded and walked to his jeep and drove off, returning to his two Divisions which were west of Xena's troops.

"Xena..." Gabrielle started to say.

"It just wasn't the right time to attack yet, Gabrielle," the Warrior Princess said sharply.

"Sure, Xena. Whatever you say," the smaller woman answered.

The "modern" army was preparing for battle around her; the lines of trucks, huge tanks grinding along, flying war engines they called birds and choppers that looked like something straight from Tartarus, and the soldiers who were just like the all the others she had ever met. Under their fatigues, Kevlar body armor and terrible weapons Gabrielle saw they were just the same, just people, mostly young people.

Gabrielle thought back to her previous time in the land of Chin. Xena had gone to kill their emperor to pay her debt to Lao Ma and she had followed and betrayed her to him--supposedly for Xena's own good to prevent her commiting a murder; really because she was jealous of Xena's loyalty to Lao Ma. Eventually she faced the truth. Gabrielle didn't have good memories of Chin and it didn't look like this time was going to be any better. Ahmat and Xena both said it would be a slaughter.

She liked Ahmat. They'd felt an immediate attraction. When this was over...who knows? Gabrielle remembered what Kimberly had said; that if she ever got a taste of a real man it might open her eyes. Gabrielle wasn't as inexperienced as Kimberly seemed to think. She also understood now what Kimberly had been implying about Xena. It wasn't that big a shock. Lots of Greeks went both ways. Gods, Gabrielle had been to the Athens Academy of Performing Bards...those guys! Her friend hadn't actually said anything to confirm or deny it. Xena could have gotten in that fight just because Kimberly stood up to her. Much as she loved her friend, Gabrielle knew Xena thought her way was the only way. Every time. All the time. But Kimberly wasn't even impressed. Talk about provocation, the bard thought wryly.

The bard took her helmet off with its red cross and ran her hand through her recently cut short hair. She looked around at the soldiers, most of 'em young. A lot of 'em would be dead soon, missing hands and feet, arms and legs, blind, mutilated. She turned away. They probably felt bad enough without her looking at them and crying.

Gabrielle walked over to an ambulance, climbed in the back and started checking the supplies. When they told her she couldn't treat the wounded because so much was different, she had simply insisted on being trained in it. The medicine of this time was amazing. They cured plagues! They sewed fingers back on! They could fight infections! They could actually replace hearts! Gabrielle wished Hippocrates could see all of this. She could be trained as a field medic but there was no way Xena could become as skilled in medicine here as she had been in Greece. Her friend said modern weapons were really just fancy swords and spears, chariots and catapults. But modern medicine was so complex and different that Xena couldn't possibly become a doctor, what they called healers here.

Gabrielle knew her friend felt badly about that since she valued her healing skills as much or more than her fighting skills.

The small woman was counting the morphine vials when a voice came from the open back door of the ambulance.

"Hi, bardy. Long time no see."

Gabrielle nearly dropped the precious medicine. She replaced it then looked at the speaker who was smiling at her, head cocked to one side.

"Hello, Jilly. This is getting to be a habit," the bard said. Jilly had just appeared like that twice before over the years, once to protect Gabrielle in a war zone, and once to kill Xena. The girl had changed her mind about that, thankfully.

Jilly answered, "Yeah. That occurred to me too. Those were the good old days, weren't they, bardy? I'm gonna bring 'em back."

She was dressed like a private. Gabrielle realized in a professional way that coming into the heart of her foe's camp this way was heroic. Something for an epic, really. Funny that there weren't any poems about Jilly's exploits. She'd done more than enough but people just didn't feel that way about her. Jilly the Butcher. It didn't quite have the same ring as Brave Odysseus, Great Kimberly or The Warrior Princess. Jilly did appear in some poems but more as a secondary character; a contrast with her beloved brother or Shining Kush, an example that there were more important things than being good at killing. Funny Jilly called those the good old days now, since she had been hated and feared by everyone but her inner circle. Let alone what Jilly had gone through as a child before Callisto rescued her. Jilly was remembering things pretty selectively, Gabrielle guessed.

"Are you here to kill Xena?"

Jilly shook her head. "She's my family, Gabrielle! How can you ask that? No, I was doing something else and thought I'd drop by and say hello to you and Xena. Wish Mom would lead an army against me, so I could see her too. She never came to see me before and I didn't look her up either. Why do mothers and daughters get like that, huh? Now look at us. Missed our chance."

Gabrielle said, "She told Angela and Kush she wouldn't fight you. They agreed to never send her directly against you."

"Oh, well," Jilly said. "She means well. I mean, it's not like she could beat me or anything. And I sure wouldn't hurt her."

"She's better than you. Not one on one, but as a general. And that's what..." the bard said then stopped as Jilly was right in front of her holding her by the collar, brown eyes wide.

"Better than ME! I don't think so. You're WRONG! Everybody's wrong! Mom, Xena, Ekberg, Powell! I could take 'em all at the same time!"

"No one's arguing about that, Jilly," Gabrielle coughed as a hand tightened around her throat.

"Let her go," Xena's voice came from behind her. Jilly released her and turned.

"Thanks, Xena," Jilly said lightly, "I don't wanna hurt, bardy. I'd feel terrible later." She patted the gasping bard's shoulder affectionately. "Sorry," she said to Gabrielle.

Xena was looking at a bag Jilly wore slung over a shoulder. Gabrielle hadn't noticed it. "Why didn't you mention Ahmat just now? He's better than you are too."

The butcher's eyes were wide and blank. "Not anymore he's not." She opened the bag and emptied its contents on the floor of the ambulance.

"By the gods! By the gods!" Gabrielle exclaimed in horror at Ahmat's severed head.

"Down!" Xena yelled as she pulled her 9 mm and just opened fire in the small space. The bard had dropped but the shooting ended immediately. She got up and went to where Xena was crumpled on the ground. Gabrielle helped her friend to her feet. Jilly was gone.

Xena climbed back into the ambulance and looked down at the head a moment. "If we had attacked when he wanted this wouldn't have happened."

"Xena...." Gabrielle said plaintively, not knowing what else to say. Catching another glimpse of the head she looked away. Soldiers were coming now, drawn by the shots.

"General...General...there's important.." a messenger was pushing through the men then froze at what he saw in the ambulance.

"You came to tell me about General Ahmat," Xena said.

The man nodded and said, "And something else." Xena looked up at him. "Colonel Callisto took a long-range fighter and is heading east."

Gabrielle saw her friend almost turn to stone. Then Xena ordered, "Have a plane prepared for me." She looked at Gabrielle, "Stay here. If fighting starts stay away from the front. I don't think it will though."

"What's happening? I'm going with you," the bard said, following Xena who was already striding toward a jeep.

The warrior Princess grimaced, "Fine. I know better than to argue with you about it. Callisto has something she wants to do. She had to wait until Jilly was occupied though."

Gabrielle said, "Oh gods!"

Mulder was locked in his room with Karn watching the director's cut of Bladerunner. Sam had studied the man and boy and said it was all right for Karn to spend time with him. The agent heard something and stopped the video. "Mulder..." the boy started to say but stopped as he held a hand up. There was yelling downstairs and shots.

"Get in the closet, Karn. Keep quiet!" Mulder whispered to him and pushed the boy into the closet and covered him with clothes and closed it. He returned to his bed just as the door to his room opened up. "Jilly?" Mulder said, surprised.

"Guess again. Who are you?" the blonde woman said with a strange smile. She was in a tight fitting black jumpsuit, had a holstered pistol and held a bloody round weapon Fox recognized from the history books.

"Callisto..." Mulder said.

"Why are you locked up?" she demanded suspiciously, her smile disappearing as her mood instantly shifted. Her eyes were scanning the room. They stopped on the closet.

"The Prince enslaved my partner. We're FBI agents. I'm a prisoner because I objected. That bastard!" Mulder said vehemently, wanting to draw the woman's attention away from the closet.

"Oh, you must mean the little redhead. Hate to tell you this, but working for the Lord Progenitor is a promotion." Her voice was mocking. "Not to worry; I'll probably kill her anyway when I do her boss. She'll be out of her misery then."

Mulder realized she was a mortal threat not only to Scully but to the entire fight against Jilly. He jumped for her but she avoided him, and he found himself held from behind with that round blade at his throat. He expected to die but she just giggled and gave him a hard push. "You're cute. Let's do lunch sometime."

She left closing the door and Mulder heard it lock automatically. After a moment listening, he got Karn out of the closet. The boy was tense but calm. Even though Mulder had already done it a thousand times he began searching for a way out of the room. He was sure Callisto had killed the guards and now was just going to wait for Prince Samuel and Scully.

It was late afternoon and Sam with Scully was arriving back at his Washington townhouse. The small woman looked around. Where were his guards? She considered going back the way they had just come but that would leave them exposed to fire from the windows if there was something going on. Master was watching her. He was letting her make the decisions. This was her job.

Scully drew her gun and carefully opened the door. When she saw the blood on the floor and walls she moved to push the Prince back but they both were slammed from behind and stumbled inside as the front door slammed shut in back of them.

"Well, well, well. You are just as cute as a button, Red. Your friend upstairs doesn't approve of your career choice though. I told him I'd help him out."

Scully spun toward the speaker and her gun flew from her hand. A blonde woman in black leather was smiling at her as she held a hand up and caught a flying metal ring. Scully ran at the woman and found herself on her back gasping for breath. The woman was standing over her with her right foot on Scully's chest.

"You're not a bacchae... it's day and you aren't strong enough...but you got something sorta bacchish about ya. What's up with that, huh?"

"Jilly?" Scully gasped out.

The Prince came to stand on the other side of Scully. "Don't hurt her, Callisto. You came for me." Callisto hadn't found Karn. She'd be gloating if she had.

The child of Kush and Angela would be valuable, if for no other reason than to inflict pain on his parents by killing him. That'd be plenty for Callisto. Mulder had distracted her it sounded like.

Scully tried to push the booted foot off her but it was immovable and kept her pinned. Callisto, smiling, rested her elbows on her bent knee and looked at the Prince.

"Prince Samuel...GOOD Prince Samuel...Lord Progenitor...what else are you...Defender of the Faith, Fire From Heaven, Dragon of the Sea and Sky?" she said.

Sam answered, "Those and too many others to list. Jilly didn't send you, I know that."

"Yeah, that's true. My little friend is too soft. Always has been. But, ya know what? I'm not. Figured I'd do you and anybody else who seemed tasty." Callisto was just lazily spinning the chakram on her finger as she spoke. Scully tried struggling free again and this time the boot heel came down in her solar plexus and she groaned in pain.

Prince Samuel said, "What about Cal?"

Callisto stepped away from Scully and snarled. "That wasn't me! I have nothing to do with a reincarnation!"

"Jilly's a reincarnation herself," Sam said evenly.

"That's different. She's just like she always was. Ares saw to that. Cal was a completely different person...I'm not Cal. You are NOTHING to me!" Her eyes had gotten wide.

Scully crawled quickly away and was watching the woman clinically. Callisto looked like she might be close to a seizure. It reminded Scully of Jilly except Callisto seemed even more volatile.

"Cal had your memories. You didn't know that? I guess not. When he got angry you would come out in him. He only got mad when somebody was screwing with his kids though; with me or Jilly." Sam was speaking calmly.

"It wasn't ME!" Callisto screeched and hit him across the face with a backhand blow that dropped him.

The door burst open. The blonde turned, her smile transforming her face. "Oh, Xeeeenaa!" Callisto crooned.

The warrior princess, wearing fatigues, said, "Get away from him, Callisto."

"Spare the rod and spoil the child, Xena. This is none of your business," Callisto said petulantly. Then she rolled her eyes as Gabrielle appeared in the doorway.

"I'm making it my business," Xena growled as she walked up to stand directly in front of her old enemy. The blonde made a mocking frown. With a burst of action, Xena caught Callisto with a kick that sent her reeling back though the blonde didn't fall and threw her chakram which Xena barely avoided. Gabrielle pulled Sam away.

Scully had managed to retrieve her gun and opened fire. Callisto caught her chakram and leapt avoiding the first bullets but one grazed her thigh. Xena pulled a gun and also began shooting.

"Not you too! Guns are for cowards!" Callisto screamed. Making sounds of incoherent frustration and rage the blonde disappeared up the stairs. They could hear breaking glass and the sound of a motorcycle speeding away.

Sam and Gabrielle approached. Scully came over to him. Xena continued carefully listening.

"Nice timing," the Prince commented to the big woman, then said to Scully, "See if Karn and Agent Mulder are all right, Dana." The redhead nodded and ran up the stairs.

"Thanks," Xena answered. "Who?" she said and jerked her head in the direction Scully had headed.

"Mulder is a security agent. Karn is Angela's and Kush's son."

Xena and Gabrielle both grimaced, understanding what could have happened. The strawberry blonde looked at Sam. "What will Jilly do when she finds out?"

Sam tiredly ran his hand through his hair. "I dunno, Gabrielle. She'd kill anybody else. But Callisto...I just have no idea."

Xena looked thoughtful.

Callisto scratched her bandaged thigh then looked up as the slight figure stepped inside her tent. "Jilly, what's up?"

Queen Jilly stared at her, then sarcastically drawled, "What's UP is you tried to kill my brother. That's what's UP!"

Callisto yawned and said, "Yeah, but I blew it. When will I learn to keep my mouth shut and just kill somebody? Xena arrived in the nick of time, like always. At least she didn't drop a ton of rocks on me for a change."

"This is no fuckin' joke, Callisto! I oughta kill you." Jilly said dangerously.

Callisto grinned. "Moi? You'd kill ME? Me who saved you as a little girl? Me who taught you to fight? Me who came and saved you AGAIN when you were gonna be blown to Tartarus by that F-14 Ahmat sent after you?"

"Promise me you won't do that again," Jilly demanded.

Callisto made a dismissive hand gesture. "He has to die. I wouldn't have believed it, but you actually might pull it off without Prince Samuel around. With him you don't stand a chance. You know I'm right if you think about it. "

Jilly stepped quickly forward and grabbed Callisto by her collar. She tried to struggle and Jilly sent her flying back to crash onto her cot. Callisto was instantly up and snarling. Jilly coolly waited then with a kick dropped Callisto where she stood. She said to the crumpled form, "No, what I know is you being dead if you try anything like that again. You won't kill him and then tell me it's a done deal. I'll take you out before that."

Callisto coughed and got up, eyeing the Queen. She'd had no idea Jilly was that much better than she was.

Jilly continued, "Gods, Callisto! I love you but Sam is my little brother. I RAISED him!"

Callisto studied her then coldly said, "He was right. You aren't really Jilly. You're nothing but a reincarnation. A weakling copy of my little friend. MY JILLY would never turn on me. She died trying to avenge me."

Jilly said, "Weakling, huh? I've killed a billion people and I'm a pale imitation?"

"That's right...because you aren't fighting to win. The real Jilly would. She'd do whatever it took," Callisto rejoined furiously.

Jilly paused and said, "Yeah...you may be right. Remember Creone? Your Jilly showed what she was made of there."

Callisto looked surprised at the sudden turn the conversation had taken. "Creone? Oh, that was a village I raided when Jilly was with me. I remember....she tried to help the village kids escape. When I caught her, she killed 'em to get back on my good side. Yeah..Yeah! That's MY Jilly!"

The Queen shook her head. "You would think that was good. Listen, Callisto, you don't know the whole story. The head I brought you: That's Sam."

"Sam?" Callisto said.

"Prince Samuel is the reincarnation of the little boy I beheaded. The Furies arranged it...so I could really taste what I had done. You never had to do that, I guess. Well, it's a real eye opener."

Callisto was listening then said disgustedly. "What a sentimental fool! Your victims all have brothers and sisters and parents and children. If you start something you have to do whatever it takes. My Jilly knew that. You never will." She turned away. "I'm leaving. I came to help Jilly, but you're just a stranger with her face."

Jilly bit her lower lip then asked, "Where will you go?"

Callisto wouldn't look at her. "I'll find something. Maybe I'll just go back to Tartarus. Hades and Ares got me out; Ares because he likes fighting and Hades because he likes death. They figured I'd be a good side investment. I feel like a fool. But at least I'm not some hypocritical little fake!"

The Cirra had just passed not far from Madagascar and was running at half speed as they performed repairs from that last engagement. They'd taken a pounding before sinking the three battleships. In her comand room, Jilly was breathing hard as she stared up at the large electronic world map. The last of her forces in Western Europe had just surrendered at Dresden and outside Rome, their lights winking out. "They should've fought till they died!" she growled. "Spartans would!"

That was Kush and her men wanted to surrender to him, the rumors of what happened at the death camp notwithstanding. In North America where they were fighting Angela and Kimberly, that wasn't as much of problem. Her mom wasn't sadistic but she wasn't Shining Kush either and would mete punishment out to anyone she thought deserved it. They would still surrender to her before Angela, though. General Gilroy had dinner parties lit by flaming prisoners impaled on stakes. Jilly wondered if Angela and Sam ever went out and screwed among the moaning screaming bodies. Those crazy kids did that all the time in the old days. They were the good guys here, supposedly.

Jilly looked at the dark rangy man in khakis like her own standing beside her, Colonel Mubarek. When Callisto left he had quickly seized command of her regiment by having his rivals strangled in their sleep before they even knew anything. Jilly didn't know how he had learned of it so fast, but that was a good sign he was the right choice. Now Jilly said, "Something on your mind, Colonel?"

He indicated the map and said curtly, "It's time we negotiate a surrender while we still have a bargaining position."

The woman he dwarfed smiled up at him. "It's not WE, Mubarek. It's ME. I'm not stopping."

"What about your men?" he said.

She shrugged. "They took their chances. They were willing to swim through blood and kill their own families when they thought there was a pot of gold waiting. Well, it didn't quite work out but it's too late now to jump ship."

The big Turk said, "I disagree," as he brought the machinepistol up.

"FUCKHEAD!" Jilly screamed and drove her stiffened fingers into his throat.

She grabbed the weapon away before he could even squeeze the trigger reflexively. She stood watching him choke, then broke his neck with a kick. "GODDAMNIT!"

She cursed and threw the gun at the big screen which shattered.

Two sailors walking together down a hallway looked nervously at each other as they heard the crash and cursing. A door was yanked open and Jilly strode out saying to them, "Get that repaired," before she disappeared up a ladder going up on deck of the aircraft carrier.

They walked inside and saw the large screen was smashed. One began to pick up a phone but stopped as the other said, "Over here, Hans!"

Hans went over and found Yoshi bending over a body. Hans noticed a gun on the floor nearby and picked it up. They recognized Colonel Mubarek, a real scary character who had come in by helicopter the day before.

"Yoshi, it could be us next time," Hans said grimly with a German accent.

Yoshi nodded and frantically exclaimed, "Why did I join her? Why?"

"For a while it looked like she'd pull it off. We'd all be rich," Hans said in frustration. "GPS ruined that. I wish Mubarek had blown her crazy fucking head off! Maybe we could still get out of this alive somehow."

At a sound they turned and Jilly was standing there. "Forgot something. That's what you wish, huh, asshole?"

Hans said, "I was just talking! You know how it is!"

Yoshi wanted to vomit from fear. "Please!"

Jilly's mouth was twitching. Then she said, "Yeah, I know. Throw Mubarek overboard and get somebody in here to fix the screen like I told you." She picked a large envelope up from the desk and turned to leave. Hans brought up Mubarek's gun and opened fire. The slender woman had already dropped to the floor, and then it seemed to Yoshi like she was bouncing off the steel gray walls. A moment later she was standing in front of him holding the machinepistol as Hans was lying on top of Colonel Mubarek.

"Admiral! Please!" Yoshi said pathetically holding his hands up.

Jilly tossed him the gun, saying "Throw 'em both overboard, and get that fixed." She left the room and Yoshi began shaking. He wished he was back in Yokohama, or really anywhere else.

Mulder and Karn had just finished shooting some more hoops and he was going to help the boy with some homework when they heard a loud curse. Fox looked around for danger but Karn said, "That's Uncle Sam. He's just mad about something."

The boy led Mulder to Sam's study which was open. Mulder was nervous but figured it would be all right since it was Karn's idea...what a position for an FBI agent to be in.

They looked inside. It was day so the bacchae were nowhere to be seen but Scully was there in a white bikini bottom and leaning against a wall. She was wearing a shoulder holster, and her toenails were painted bright red to match her lips and fingernails. Nice ensemble, Mulder thought. She glanced at him and Karn and frowned and waved them away. Karn didn't move so Mulder like a good sidekick stood his ground.

The Prince was speaking into something that resembled a cell phone but didn't. "I see..." he said grimly then slammed his hand down on his desk. "What response did the Lord Caste send them, Lord Military?...Why are you calling me and not one of the Lords?... What does Cordelia say?"

The Prince noticed Karn and Mulder now. At first he seemed annoyed then waved them inside. Karn anyway and Mulder tagged along. The boy went to stand beside Prince Samuel. Mulder didn't feel like pressing his luck that far. "Hold on a moment, Lord Military," the Prince said. He looked at the boy. "Karn, a situation has developed with the Lytton Federation. You've seen their delegations, I think."

Karn said, "Those big bear guys?"

Sam nodded. "The Lord Caste want to handle this without me. It's been building up for a long time." His voice became ironic. "They might have a point. I don't like being blindsided this way though."

He continued, "The Military Caste are refusing to obey 'em in something this big without my agreement. Some outposts have been attacked but the Lytton claim those were the actions of overeager commanders in the field. Maybe... maybe not. There has been a military buildup on the border that looks a lot like an invasion force. We are their largest trade partner and they are ours. A war could devastate both economies along with whatever other damage it did. The Slithloc defeated them before but just barely. Don't ever say that to a military though, Karn. It sounds like a demagogue has 'em worked up. What do you think we should do?"

Mulder watched with interest. It was absolute monarchy in action.

Karn said, "umm...fight 'em if we have to, I guess. If there's no other way. We don't wanna lose the trade, right, Uncle Sam? We should find out why they're mad."

The Prince listened and looked thoughtful. He glanced up at Mulder and the agent was nervous. He looked over at Scully. "What do you think, Dana?"

The small woman said, "I agree with Karn."

The Prince began tapping a front tooth with a finger. He put the communication device back to his ear. "Lord Military, convene the Military Caste Council.... I don't care about the Lord Caste. I'll deal with them later. Attack. Defeat them but don't destroy everything.... I'm going to forget you said that, Lord Military...see that you do. If they sue for peace send me word....that's right....you're on thin ice, Lord Military." He listened then said frigidly, "Angela and Kush are busy here." He set the device down and glanced at Karn and Dana. "You might have kept me from overreacting. Thanks."

"That's not overreacting?" Mulder said, then stopped talking as Scully's Walther PPK was pressing against his nose.

The Prince said, "No need for that, Dana." She returned her gun to the shoulder holster nestled beside her naked left breast and stepped away from Mulder. Prince Samuel said, "No, Agent Mulder, it's not overreacting. That would've been exterminating the entire Lytton Federation and turning their thousands of worlds into space gravel like the Military Caste wants. The Lytton aren't the Branchidae though. Aside from what the loss of trade would mean to the economy they have a rich culture that would be missed. In addition to the fact all out war is expensive business even for the winner. The Military Caste don't care about that, of course, and shouldn't. That's what the Clerical and Lord Castes are for."

"Who are the Branchidae?" Mulder said, glancing nervously at Scully who tensed but didn't do anything.

"It's who WERE the Branchidae," the Prince said with a smile. "They WERE fifth rate assholes who made their last mistake when they screwed with me. An analogy might be if the Slithloc are Sony and the Lytton are Mitsubishi, then the Branchidae were selling stolen TV sets out of the trunk of their car."

"Space gravel?" Karn said.

The Prince smiled at the boy.

"Could the Slithloc lose?" Mulder said.

Sam glanced at him then at Karn, and Mulder understood he was answering him for the boy's benefit. "They never have, Agent Mulder. They didn't crush the Lytton before though. It was a negotiated peace. The Military Caste is still stewing about that. I probably will have to send Kush and Angela. I didn't like a Lord Military just asking for 'em though. She should have more confidence." He smiled at Mulder. "This won't have any effect on Earth. I can't imagine the Military Caste losing but I suppose it's theoretically possible with someone like the Lytton. If they do I'll remain here assuming I survive myself and there's nothing else to do for the Slithloc."

Mulder didn't respond but knew what that would mean. After Jilly was defeated Good Prince Samuel would rule the world.

Krycek and Kimberly were lazily lounging in bed. It was close to sunset. The dark woman was propped up and reading the comics section from the Sunday New York Times and Alex was idly playing with her hair with his restored hand. Her General's uniform hung in one corner. She was on leave from her army in the Texas Panhandle. She had a breather because she had just crushed Jilly's forces in the region. Krycek was between assignments, having just returned from Bangkok.

There was a loud fast knock on the door. Kimberly glanced up, took her 9 mm from under the pillow, and removed her reading glasses setting them on the nightstand. Alex pulled some jeans on and a T-shirt, slipped his .38 into his waistband in back and went to the door. He glanced back at Kimberly who was still naked. She saw his look, shrugged and rose to put her white bathrobe on. Alex looked through the peephole, opened the door and Angela came walking in pushing past him.

"Angela...what is it?" Kimberly said setting the gun down.

The redhead looked at the newspaper and the rumpled bed. She smiled and said, "Deep down you're a happy hausfrau aren't you, Kimberly? Who'd a thunk it? And with ratboy here no less."

"What do you want?" Alex asked angrily. He was getting really sick of this kind of treatment from people. He had something ready for Angela.

The freckled redhead looked at him and smiled.

"What do you want, Angela?" Kimberly said coldly.

The tall woman got serious. "I'm flying to Washington to see Sam. Wanna come? You too, Krycek."

Kimberly said, "Of course, I want to see Sam. But what's this about? And why do you want Alex?"

Angela said, "I'll explain on the way. I wanna appeal to Sam's better nature and I think you being there will help. Krycek knows some of the people involved which might be handy."

"Okay," Kimberly said suspiciously, as she took her uniform down from the door and took the robe off. Krycek kept an eye on Angela as he put his shoes and socks on.

The redhead said to him, "Nice job in Bangkok; those plans you delivered were on the money. The guy in the men's room, though. Don't ya think that was a little rash?"

Kimberly didn't say anything, listening, as she was buttoning her shirt. She glanced at Alex who was putting his brown leather jacket on. He flashed his charming smile at Angela who tensed slightly.

"If you didn't want your agent provocateur hurt you shouldn't have sent him after me that way."

Angela's eyes glittered. "You knew he was from me?"

Kimberly began to chuckle. She said, "Not so funny when you're on the receiving end, is it?"

Angela said, "He was tortured. Why?"

Kimberly stopped laughing and looked at Alex who was checking the load in his gun as he innocently said, "He claimed to work for Jilly. Didn't have much to say though. It's interesting that you have a tattoo on your ass and snort crank but that doesn't help us against Jilly. I'l chip in for a seeing eye dog if he wants one. Did you know he had a crush on you?" Alex put the gun in a holster which he clipped to his belt in back.

"You little..." Angela said and took a step toward Krycek, but Kimberly, in her crisp uniform now and wearing a billed hat put an arm out blocking the taller woman.

"If you can't take the heat, as they say," Kimberly said.

Angela stopped and looked at Kimberly and got a slow smile on her freckled face though her green eyes remained cold. "So they say. Come on, let's go see David and Bathsheba." She turned and left the room. Kimberly didn't like the sound of that. She looked over at Alex.

"Would you've called her if I wasn't here to save your bacon?" Kimberly asked.

"Of course not."

Kimberly kissed him. "You are such a louse! I love it!"

Sam was relaxing in the large marble tub with Scully when Clea came in and started to say, "Captain An..." but then was knocked forward by the door and she fell face first into the sunken tub.

"Angela!" Sam said.

The tall redhead in her long black leather coat said sneeringly, "What a pretty picture! Get your clothes on. I wanna talk."

Elvira and Fotena had come up behind her and now leapt at her. Angela quickly turned her body and used the bacchae's own momentum to send the two creatures careening into the water with the others.

"Don't do that again, girls. I know you just wanna protect your boss but I'll only put up with so much."

"Oh, Angela, there's..." Sam started to say but she turned and sauntered out.

"Tell me when you've got your pants on, Lord Progenitor."

The beautiful women with their gowns now plastered to their bodies, awkwardly climbed out of the tub. Sam sighed and he and Scully got out. The three bacchae peeled their gowns off and held them over the marble tub, squeezing out water.

"I hope we have enough towels," Sam said.

Angela stepped out in the hallway. She wanted to find Mulder now. Since she didn't hear anything she just began opening doors looking for him exploring the town house. At the sixth door she froze.

"Hi, Mom," Karn said. He got up and came over to hug her. Mulder rose too. They had been sitting on the end of his bed playing a videogame.

"How long have you been here?" Angela asked. She was angry but didn't know who to direct it at. Lucky for Mulder she wasn't like Jilly.

"I got in a few weeks ago. Laconius said he'd tell you and dad I was here."

"Okay," Angela said. She'd been traveling a lot and he just hadn't caught up with her yet. They probably passed each other going different directions several times. The soldier wouldn't want to risk security by telling her and Kush about their son's presence any other way than personally.

"Uncle Sam and Laconius know you're hanging out with Agent Mulder?" the freckled woman asked.

"Uh huh," the boy said. "We've been shooting hoops, too."

"Yeah? He any good?" Angela said and glanced at the agent. The boy shrugged. She said, "Say goodby to him, Karn. He's gonna be leaving now."

Mulder had been listening carefully. At the last he felt his throat constrict.

"Bye, Mulder," Karn said.

"Bye, Karn. It was nice meeting you." Mulder said. She was gonna kill him. The only possible course he could see would be to take Karn hostage...and he wouldn't do that...no matter what.

As the boy left he braced himself but the tall woman said, "Oh, relax! Don't be so paranoid. I'm getting you and your partner out of here." She turned and left the room. Mulder shakily sat back down on the bed.

Kimberly was nervously waiting. Alex said, "This is the little boy whose picture you carry, isn't it?" The big woman nodded.

Angela returned. "Sam'll be right down." Alex and Kimberly both saw she had been splashed with water. Angela looked at herself. "Don't ask. It's too stupid to talk about."

In a short time Mulder, in his usual dark suit, came down the stairs carefully. At the sight of Krycek and Kimberly, he froze for a second, then continued. Alex smiled at him and Kimberly nodded.

A few minutes later, Prince Samuel came down the stairs, Clea beside him and ready to catch him if he tripped and the others surrounding him protectively. Sam was in blue jeans, Reeboks, and a University of Chicago sweatshirt. The four beautiful women were in white or black high heels with matching thigh-high stockings, lace bras, and nothing else but some jewelry. All wore earrings; Elvira and Fotena had necklaces, and Clea's navel sported a sapphire. Scully in addition to her small gold crucifix had a tattoo on her midback of an oroborus, a snake with its tail in it's mouth. Their pubic hair was shaved in ornate patterns. The Prince and his girls all had damp hair.

"Mom!" Sam said, came over and hugged her.

"Hi, baby!" she said emotionally.

Alex was grinning at Scully. She glared at him in return. The bacchae began growling and advancing on him but Angela said, "Nuh uh uh." They stopped.

Mulder wanted to run over and cover Scully up with his coat. It had been made abundantly clear to him though that it wasn't necessary. He was still bruised from last time.

"What's this about, Angela?" Prince Samuel said. "I thought you understood about me and my bacchae. That it didn't bother you anymore." This was bad enough but that Angela had brought his mother...it was embarrassing; especially with the way they dressed since their gowns were wet.

Kimberly said, "It's about Agent Scully. Let her go, Sam."

"I'm not here against my will!" Scully said.

Krycek laughed and she glared at him again.

"You would never do this!" Mulder said vehemently.

Angela said, "Agent Scully, you don't have any will. No one does when it comes to Good Prince Samuel...except for me. Sam, you can't just take somebody like that. That's not you.

Prince Samuel frowned and said. "I'm not harming her. She's happy. What's your problem?"

"Release her mind and see how happy she is. Mulder's biased but, Krycek, you know Scully. Would she want this?" Angela said.

Alex answered, "No. I love the look, though." He stopped smiling when Kimberly frowned at him.

"I'm not doing anything to her mind," Sam said shortly.

Angela said, "Not intentionally, maybe, but you don't have to. You know the effect you have on people."

"She likes me. So what?" Sam replied petulantly.

"So turn off the charm. See how much she likes you then," Angela rejoined.

Prince Samuel looked at Dana and his bacchae. He was uncomfortable. Elvira had also said something to him about Dana not belonging with them. She was the one who had wanted Agent Scully in the first place. But Sam himself had come to enjoy having Dana serve him and didn't want to lose her. Was Angela right? "Dana," he said quietly.

Scully walked over to him. "I love serving you," she said simply. He bent down to look directly in her eyes. Scully felt odd then said, "Shit!" as she realized what she was wearing. She covered her crotch with her hands and backed away from Prince Samuel, stumbling on the stiletto heels. Scully scrambled behind Mulder who gave her his coat.

Prince Samuel's eyes were red as he looked at her. "I'm sorry." To Angela and Kimberly, he said, "I really didn't know."

"I know, Sam," Angela said. "Go get dressed, Agent Scully. You and your partner are leaving." She looked at Krycek. "Why don't you go with 'em so Kimberly and Sam can catch up."

Alex looked at Kimberly who nodded at him. Kimberly said, "What about you?"

Angela answered, "I've got my own catching up to do." She looked over and Karn had come in the room. He was staring at Sam's bacchae. Wait till he hits puberty, she thought. She'd have to talk to Sam about it.

Sam had realized his mother and this killer had a romantic connection. Kimberly noticed his look and said "This is my friend, Alex."

Krycek felt a little nervous. It was absurd but he was sleeping with Sam's mother and he was self conscious. The Prince held his hand out. Alex took it and Prince Samuel looked him in the eyes.

"Sam..." Kimberly started to say. Angela laughed.

Krycek felt like the room was spinning. He saw huge vistas filled with impaled screaming bodies, armies crashing together, massive explosions as fleets of space craft met in battle and planets were reduced to cinders, and a dark horned god with a bloody face.

"Pleased to meet you, Alex. Hope you're treating my mom right. I wouldn't want to hear otherwise," the Prince said jokingly, releasing his hand and eyes. Kimberly steadied Krycek who seemed disoriented and frowned at Sam who had an innocent expression.

Scully was shaking with humiliation and rage as she found her old clothes and got dressed. Her partner was downstairs. She could barely look at Mulder although she knew it was late for her to be modest now. "Dana." She whirled and the bacchae were standing there.

"Stay away from me!" she said and drew her gun.

"Put the gun away. You don't need it and it would not harm us anyway," Elvira said.

Scully, still furious, put the gun in her holster under her coat. She tried to calm down.

Elvira said, "Don't you remember what I told you? You wouldn't believe me then."

Scully put her big overcoat on. "Yeah, sure, whatever. After you brainwashed me and screwed me as much as you wanted, you decided I didn't quite fit in after all."

"You were not 'brainwashed.' The Prince desired you join us and you wished to please him," Elvira replied. "He is distracted by this terrible war with his sister and allowed you to be overwhelmed by his great presence. If there was any brainwashing it was now when he dampened your feelings for him."

"Were you behind Angela coming here?" Scully said, a shade less angrily. She hated to admit it but knew she wasn't just a passive victim.

Elvira nodded. "I encouraged Kush speak to Captain Angela."

Scully said acidly, "Thanks for not using me any more than you already did. Thanks a lot!"

Clealisthia and Fotena were ready to restrain Elvira but their hot tempered sister wasn't reacting as she usually did.

Elvira said, "Dana...Dana...I love you...we all love you. I'm sorry." She turned and left. Fo and Clea looked at Scully inscrutably for a moment and left as well.

Scully found herself regretting what were probably her last words to her former sisters.

He moved quickly and quietly in the darkened hallway. Krycek found the bedroom and silently turned the knob and slipped inside. Two figures were asleep in the bed. He was here for the woman. She had been selling information to Jilly's agents. Krycek had been tracing her from one embassy guard, MIT scientist or State Department employee she'd duped to the next, killing them after he'd learned what he needed, as the smoking man had instructed him. He had been cleaning out their bank accounts for himself as well. Eventually the trail led across the Atlantic to London, then across the English Channel and eastward. Alex studied the sleeping figures and made a decision to kill both just to be safe even though he didn't know who her companion was.

"Do not slay the man. He is just sport for her."

Alex felt like jumping at the clear loud voice and the woman who had appeared standing beside him. The sleepers hadn't been awakened though. Athena nodded at the sleeping figures. Alex slipped a knife into his hand and silently approached the bed. He looked down at her, a smart, treacherous, beautiful woman; just his type. It was too bad she had chosen the wrong side. Alex clamped a gloved hand over her mouth and her eyes opened in fear a second before he drove the knife into her heart. The man hadn't awakened. Alex suspected Athena was keeping the sleeper in that state. He looked back and she had disappeared. Krycek wiped his knife off, backed away and slipped out the bedroom door. Athena was wating when he came back out on the quiet residential Prague street.

"I have a task for you."

Alex hesitated and felt a tingling in his restored arm. Athena changed and instead of a dark dress she wore a white chyton, a shining helmet with a high crest and held a spear and shield. The vision only lasted a second before she disappeared in an explosion of light.

Krycek found himself in daylight and with no idea where he was. There was gunfire and explosions and he looked for cover but then realized no one was shooting at him. He could also hear cheering.

The MIG was flying low just ahead of the squadron. Underneath them were huge rice fields that had somehow escaped devastation so far. They had lost nine planes in a dogfight just an hour before. Jilly had wanted to destroy Kush's headquarters but despite inflicting damage hadn't succeeded. One of their opponents had been so good Jilly suspected it was Xena or maybe even Kush. Jilly had hightailed it out of there, realizing she couldn't afford to lose any more fighters if she could possibly help it. They hadn't pursued. That also made her suspect Kush. He wouldn't want Jilly shooting down any more of his pilots, which she would have done, just as Kush or whoever it was would've taken out more of Jilly's planes.

On her instrument panel Jilly saw five of her remaining twelve MIGs assuming an attack pattern with her as the target. They were trying to be sly. "Great," she mumbled to herself and just immediately tumbled off in a spin and came up under them and fired her rockets, hitting two that went spinning off in flames, leaving three more of her attackers. The rest of her squadron weren't helping her, simply waiting. She gritted her teeth seeing that.

"Commander! Commander!" was coming over her headset from one of the attacking planes.

"Too late, shithead," she responded. His answer was to fire a smart missile at her. Jilly exploded it with a special code only she possessed. She could guess the effect that must've had on the pilot. The two planes veered off in different directions. She flicked a switch and entered another code. The jets lost power and went into spins and the pilots ejected.

"That was pretty goddamn stupid, wasn't it?" Jilly said and flew toward the pilot who had sent the smart missile after her. He was frantically waving and a firing his pistol at her. Seconds later blood covered the nose of her plane. The other parachutist looked like he was trying to work his radio. She headed his direction and saw him squriming, then she had passed by having caught him with a wing tip. Looking back part of him was still in the parachute softly descending towards earth.

"Are you all right, Commander?" came over her headset now.

"Just peachy! Why wouldn't I be," she replied sarcastically. "Follow me back to The Cirra unless the rest of you wanna try something."

They saw the huge black oily cloud long before reaching the aircraft carrier. The bow of the huge vessel was still visible amid the water flaming with oil and fuel. There were survivors in rafts and life jackets being picked up. Lucky for them Kush and not Angela was calling the shots. Hunting 'em with a harpoon seemed like something her sister-in-law would be down there doing if she had her druthers. Jilly said to her squadron, "We have to get back to the airfield on the mainland while we have fuel," They didn't respond. She guessed they were regretting that they hadn't tried to help the others kill her.

Paulie was waiting for her when she came walking in from the airfield. There were eight bodies in front of a wall. The big old man in his out of place suit was holding an AK-47. Jilly looked curiously at the executed soldiers. They'd all been facing the wall with their hands up.

"Planning a welcome for me?" Jilly said.

Paulie grunted meaning yes.

"Tried recruiting you and you played along right?"

He grunted again.

Jilly tiredly put her hands over her face.

"Okay, honey?" Paulie asked.

"Yeah, Paulie. I'm okay."

The generals were all gathered around the large map. Froisart had been promoted and taken command of Ahmet's divisions. Their aides were hovering in the background. Xena, Ekberg and Powell had been arguing but stopped as Kush and Angela came in. Unlike the others they were in long leather coats instead of fatigues. Each wore five stars on their collars though. Artillery fire could be heard in the distance. The big blonde, almond skinned man took a position at the head of the table. Angela stood to one side of him. He was in charge here. She was observing and ready to step in in case of an emergency. Her troops were fighting a war of attrition in North America. Angela had wanted to be present for this though and had left Kimberly in command.

"It is good to see you, brothers," Kush said, looking around the table.

"Is there any chance Jilly will surrender?" Froisart asked.

"Nah," Xena and Angela answered in unison.

"It is unlikely," Kush said. "Without The Cirra and with the new loss of most of her airforce and artillery, she only has days or even hours. But her defeat has been clear for months."

Angela added, "Right before all this started she was talking about how great Thermopylae was. Told somebody she wished she coulda been there. Jilly intends to die fighting."

Froisart nodded, not surprised. He just wanted to raise the issue.

"Laconius," Kush said. His aide stepped forward and handed leather binders to all of the commanders as Kush continued, "Here are your orders."

Xena was frowning as she was reading. She looked up at Kush who was watching her.

"That's all, brothers," Kush said flatly. Xena waited as the officers left, leaving her and her aide with Kush, Angela and Laconius. She indicated for her aide to leave and at a look from the Lord Military, Laconius followed.

"What is this? You're keeping me away from the main fighting." Xena demanded.

"That's right," Angela said. "That's where Jilly will be. You're related same as Kimberly. We aren't gonna send you directly against her. I didn't even want you in this theater. Your China experience was too valuable to waste though."

"Don't you think I'll fight her as hard as I can?" Xena asked dangerously.

Kush answered, "I know you will, brother. You might well meet her face to face. The Lord Progenitor will feel badly enough."

Angela said, "Are you gonna tell me you can beat her? Sam's probably gonna lose his sister. He doesn't need his great great whatever grandmother dead at her hands on top of that."

Xena was glaring at Kush and Angela then said resignedly, "Long as it's not about me."

Angela smiled but her green eyes were cold. "Perish the thought, Xena. I'd like to kill you and your carpet muncher myself."

"Why?" Kush said curiously.

"Why not?" Xena and Angela answered together.

Standing in front of her headquarters, Jilly glanced back at the building wondering how long it would be before it had been reduced to rubble. She tried to silence the voices in her head and they receded. Her voices had disappeared for years, but had reappeared and become more urgent than they had been since she was a little girl. The final assault had already begun and artillery and flashes of light were visible in the distance. Jilly knew where the main fighting would likely be and would be heading out there to take personal command. She hoped she got killed fighting but she had to do her best or it wouldn't be real. Jilly had hugged Paulie leaving him confused. She had everything she wanted on her: pictures of her parents and her brother; a photo of that statue of Callisto with her as a little girl; a snapshot of her and Langland eating pizza. A picture of Karn at around two holding both her and Angela's chakrams like he couldn't decide which he liked better.

The majority of her men looked at her with fear and hatred, which made her smile. They were between a rock (the attacking armies) and a hard place (herself). Most of them just hoped for an opportunity to surrender without Jilly or any of her loyal troops killing them, which had been happening when men tried to give up without even fighting. If she was dead they all would throw their weapons down immediately since they were facing Kush. But it had become clear to everyone that trying to assassinate Jilly was more of a sure way to die than fighting.

After the loss of The Cirra, under a new Colonel that regiment of psychos came after her seeing that as their only chance. Jilly had personally led a contingent of her elite troops against them. Being on the same side had never set too well with the French Foreign Legionnaires, Russian Blue Berets, American Rangers, etc., many of whom had followed Jilly because she represented a kind of warrior ideal. Most also had known going in Jilly couldn't possibly win and they were unlikely to survive. Being self destructive was something they could understand. They were themselves. Jilly did it on such a huge, mythic scale that they wanted to be part of it. They felt elevated. The more literate ones actually thought in those terms; others like they were in an epic or opera; others like they were living out a movie. Now as things were drawing to an end Jilly was spending more and more time with their regiment: drinking; cooking for 'em; talking about things like the Spartans at Thermopylae, Pickett's Charge in the Civil war, and in the Battle of the Bulge those outnumbered GIs who as a reply to the German demand for surrender sent back a one word answer, "Nuts." They liked her more than ever now. Going with her to exterminate those creeps was better than R&R.

The fighting was over. Covered with blood, not hers, Jilly was driving her jeep across the devastation feeling satisfied at what she had accomplished. Callisto was disappointed in her for being too soft she knew, but gosh, look at all this....she had killed millons of times as many people as Callisto ever had. Callisto was just too critical. Jilly was disappointed she hadn't been killed in the fighting with her elite regiment who were practically all dead. She made sure she was never anywhere but in the thick of it but she was just too good. It didn't surprise it would come down to this. She was making her way back to her headquarters to wait.

When she arrived she stood up in her jeep and looked out over the remains of her shattered army, smoke rising from a hundred points of burning tanks and artillery positions. And bodies, lots of bodies. Beijing was just barely visible in the distance. It was quiet except for moans and screams from every direction. She smiled slightly, remembering the Last Stand of the Sword of Ares. Kimberly had led her army to destruction. Now Jilly had done the same thing, just on a bigger scale, the way she did everything. From far off two Apache helicopters began coming into view.

The beautiful blonde woman felt her mouth involuntarily twitching. Jilly tried to stop it but couldn't. She went into her headquarter and grabbed a bag and a case from a safe in the rubble. Emerging, she looked around for an open area where the choppers could land, quickly jogged over and began stripping her clothes off. As the first helicopter touched down Jilly finished lacing up her black leathers. The gems on them glimmered dimly in the smoky air. Lastly she picked up Callisto's old sword, the one Kimberly had given her when she turned 16. As the passenger from the chopper was climbing out, her red hair blowing in the wind created by the slowing blades, the other helicopter was setting down. Both aircraft had the impaled man symbol.

The second passenger lightly jumped down and with Angela began walking toward Jilly. "It is over. There is no reason to continue," Kush said. Jilly smiled and raised her eyebrows and looked at Angela.

"Foreigners, Jilly," the tall freckled woman said ironically. "What's with the costume?"

Jilly looked down at her gleaming leathers and her sword. "Thought you and Kush might wanna go one on one. You know, epic stuff."

"My great brother," Kush said sadly, "this is prose not poetry." He came up with an ouzi concealed in his coat simultaneously with Angela.

"Shit!" Jilly cursed leaping and avoiding Kush's line of fire, but in doing so she jumped right into a hail of bullets from Angela. She managed to throw her chakram as the bullets tore into her. Kush shot it out of the air and it shattered, then he sent another burst into Jilly as she was falling.

The two tall black clad figures walked to stand over the small still form, keeping their guns trained on her. When her body twitched both opened fire again.

Angela set her gun down and squatted next to the dead woman. "Jilly...Jilly... who's gonna teach Karn the difference between linguini and fettucini now?" she said softly and began arranging the torn body. She picked up the great old sword, now ruined by bullets and laid it lengthwise over Jilly and put the Queen's limp hands around it. Angela noticed a few photographs that had fallen on the ground. She took them and studied them a moment before tucking them into the top of Jilly's leathers. Angela stood up and looked at her companion. "You okay?"

Kush didn't say anything for a moment, then said, "I wanted to fight her."

"I know, Kush; so did I. But we aren't here to play games. We couldn't risk it," Angela said and laid a hand on his big shoulder.

"Indeed," he answered.

They heard a sound and turned to a see a lumbering figure push a broken door open in a building and unsteadily walk out. He was bleeding from a scalp wound but he just began slapping dust off his suit before he saw the helicopters and the standing figures. The big figure starting walking toward them then stopped when he saw the small bloody figure on the ground. Paulie began running at them clawing a gun out from his shoulderholster. Kush started to raise his machine gun but Angela said, "No."

"Fuck You! Motherfuckers! You Motherfuckers!" Paulie cursed as his gun flew out of his hand. Angela reached up to catch her chakram. The huge old man with cauliflower ears and a battered face kept running toward them and stopped beside the corpse. He was staring down at her, the left side of his mouth drooping the way it did now. "Honey..." he said sounding perplexed. He grabbed his head and fell on top of the little girl he used to take out for ice cream and give pony rides on his back to. Kush reached down and felt for a pulse in his neck.

"Alive...I hope not?" Angela said.

Kush didn't answer but reached in a pocket and withdrew a small pistol, put the .22 to the back of Paulie's head and fired three times.

Angela had stepped back to avoid being spattered with blood. "I'll call Sam," she said and began walking to the helicopters.

Kimberly heard a cheer go up from her men. She looked up from the reconnaissance photographs of Boise she was studying and frowned. The cheering was continuing. She walked to the door of her temporary headquarters and looked out. She heard shooting and saw some grenades from launchers explode in the air as makeshift fireworks. Kimberly was waiting for the call and picked it up on the first ring.

"Yes....Yeah, Angela, I figured. How?...I wanna know....goddamnit, I wanna know!...you and Kush, huh?...of course not, Angela....Call Sam yet? How'd he sound?....I'm okay....I said I'm OKAY!" Kimberly put the receiver down and looked at her shaking hand. She reached into a pocket and took out a black and white photograph of a baby propped up against a vicious looking helmet. She began crying. "Oh, Jilly! Oh, baby!"

She walked unsteadily over to her desk and seemed to just collapse into her chair, then took a large envelope from a drawer and upended it and more old photographs fell out. Picking one she could barely hold it in her shaking hand. Jilly looked about nine and was holding Sam and trying to get him to look at the camera but he was staring enraptured at her. He always felt that way about his big sister.

"Kimberly," a voice said quietly. She looked up and saw Alex.

"Where did you come from?" she asked in a ragged voice.

Krycek answered, "Athena."

Kimberly didn't say anything then desperately went back to the pile of photographs as Alex came to stand beside her and put a hand on her broad heaving shoulder.

The townhouse was quiet. It took a long time for the door to be answered after the bell was rung. Finally it opened. Scully said to the woman in a maid's uniform. "How is he?"

Clea studied her then stepped aside, murmuring "See for yourself, Dana." As the bacchae closed the door she stopped disguising her eyes and teeth. Scully followed Clealisthsia upstairs to the study where it was dimly lit and Chet Baker was playing in the background. When they entered the room Clea began taking her clothes off. Scully saw Elvira and Fotena look at her from where they were sitting at the Prince's feet. He was looking at an old photograph and hadn't seen her. He had one arm around Karn who was leaning against him. Elvira rose and whispered in his ear, and he looked at Scully, tried to smile but couldn't quite manage it. Back in her usual gown Clea went beside him too. Scully knew the Prince was keeping himself from overwhelming her. She stepped out of her shoes, took her coat off, and began unbuttoning her blouse.

Kimberly and Krycek had just emerged from a restaurant when they heard, "Alex!" They turned and a pretty, dark haired, overweight teenage girl was running toward them.

"Goddammit," Alex said softly. Kimberly looked at him sharply and at the crying girl. "Hello, Monica," he said coldy as she reached them. The girl stopped at his tone.

"Alex...Alex..." she said helplessly. She was twisting her sweater as she talked. She looked at Kimberly. "Who are you?"

The dark woman said, "I'm a friend. What's wrong?"

"Never mind," Alex said brusquely. "Monica, it's over. It was nice but it's over. That's life."

The girl began sobbing hysterically. "My dad died and then you were gone, too! I just met you and then you were gone! My mom tried to kill herself! God...oh god...Alex. I love you! Help me!" She reached pathetically for Krycek who just pushed her hands away.

"That's too bad about your father and mother, Monica. But I can't do anything for you."

"You said you loved me!" she sobbed out. "I was a virgin! My daddy's dead! My mommy's in a coma!"

Kimberly said, "I'm gonna talk to her. I'll seeya later, Alex."

Krycek tensed when he heard her voice. "Kimberly..." he started to say but she wouldn't look at him. He turned and walked off struggling with his feelings. Glancing back he saw Kimberly had her arms around Monica who was holding onto her for support.

Kimberly had gotten the teenager a hotel room and was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Monica had come home from school and found an airplane ticket in an envelope and a note that told her where to look for her wonderful Alex. She'd told Kimberly everything that happened. Kimberly had groaned inwardly. When she met Alex she knew this would come sooner or later. At least she'd had some good months with him. She could never look at him the same way now. Kimberly had been able to read between the lines. Why had Alex seduced a not-especially-bright young girl whose father he intended to murder? Just icing on the cake? A nice vicious flourish? It wouldn't surprise her if he had been screwing the mother. Hell, maybe, even the father himself. She considered that... Nah...No need to make Alex worse than he was. Monica had even saved a dress that had Alex's semen on it. God!

Now the big woman was in the hotel bar. Monica had a room and an appointment with a shrink and an after school job waiting for her in the hotel eventually if she wanted it. Kimberly figured she'd done her good deed. She hoped Monica didn't try to attach herself to her now. Wanting to help her was one thing but spending time with the air head was something else.

A figure took a seat beside her. Here it is, she thought. She looked over and didn't recognize who or what it was. She trusted her gut though. "Who are you?"

Before answering the smiling blonde in a miniskirt and halter top waved the bartender over. "Hey, studmuffin, lemme have a mango daquiri...and some nuts on the side. I love the taste of nuts..nice n' salty. How are your nuts, honey?"

The bartender grinned at her. "You just made my day."

The woman smiled after him as he walked off to make the drink. "That felt good. He's married to this TOTAL bitch! Gettin' on his case for not making more of himself...like SHE'S such a great catch. Tits halfway to the floor and she's criticizing HIM. If she doesn't cool it I'll have him leave her. He's the one who could do better!" She winked at the bartender as he brought her drink and set the the bag of beer nuts down.

"Aphrodite," Kimberly said.

The beautiful blonde smiled at the little umbrella in her daquiri and took a sip, then said, "I've been watching you a long time, honey. Funny we never met. I kept tabs on you though. Ares coulda never hooked you up with Cal without my go ahead. And you and Weldon were cute. Not classic exactly, but a nice match. You keep blowing it though. What is it with you? I guess it's that tragic hero stuff. Tragic love I can understand but this hubris...and all the guilt...I don't get it."

Kimberly said wryly, "You aren't missing anything."

"Yeah, anyways, you just made some MAJOR points with me by helping out Monica. And you kinda sorta love Alex in this sad burned out way...just like he feels about you...so risking it by helping a kid who irritates you is even better. You coulda just looked away...why not?" The goddess had reached a hand out and laid it on Kimberly's arm. The dark woman felt uncomfortable and pulled away, but Aphrodite wouldn't release her. "Not this time, sugar."

Kimberly stood up. She was still in the hotel bar but it was strangely lit and empty. Aphrodite was dressed differently and still holding her arm. The bigger woman looked down at her, then collapsed in tears and the blonde held her just as Kimberly had held Monica. Everything she had been through over the years...all the death...all the loss...all the guilt. It seemed a bottomless pit of despair, overwhelming, but Aphrodite smiled and smoothed the big dangerous woman's hair softly, "I know...I know..it'll be okay, baby."

Finally Aphrodite brushed Kimberly's dark hair away from her puffy red eyes. "Honey, if you were almost anyone else I'd ask you what you wanted. But with your track record...well...I think I'll just leave you out of the loop. This'll help about Alex." Her right hand began glowing and she laid it on Kimberly's chest a moment. "Wish I could help how you feel about your daughter. Not my province though. Maybe I can trade Hera something for it."

The void she lived with seemed to fill a little. Kimberly sniffled. "Thank you...but I don't want to forget my baby!" On the last words she broke down again.

The goddess said kindly, "I wouldn't do something like that."

When Kimberly got her composure back, she looked down at the beautiful blonde, part of her mind registering how she was dressed. The Goddess of Love was in a diaphanous robe like bacchae usually wore except Aphrodite had a white bikini under it.

Aphrodite exclaimed, "Yeah! Burns my buns! Those little tramps stole my look and ruined it. You don't think I've got the tits? Look at these! Droopy pussy? No way, look at this! Tight as a drum! Go ahead, feel it! With bacchae giving it away I had to take the high road. Skanks!"

Alex came home to his apartment. It didn't surprise him that Kimberly's things were gone. Not that she had ever had much beyond the clothes on her back. Her toothbrush was gone, her makeup, and her supply of Wild Turkey. He sat down heavily on the couch and looked out the window feeling empty.

Scully hailed a cab. "Know where the Hoover Building is?"

The driver wearing a baseball cap pulled low on her forehead muttered, "Yeah," without looking at her.

"Good," Scully said. She took some liver pathology findings out and was studying them when she happened to see the picture ID of the driver. It was a black male but the driver was a blonde female. "Been driving a cab long?" she asked.

The driver shrugged. Scully studied the back of the driver's head...that blonde hair...she hadn't seen a body. Scully said, "Jilly," prepared to pull her gun and empty it into the back of the cabbie's skull...or try to.

"Huh? You talkin' to me? Cuz that ain't my name. Oh, the badge...yeah, this is Idi's cab usually. I forgot to put my badge up. I can let you see it."

Scully sighed with relief. It wasn't Jilly. It still sounded sort of familiar but she wasn't sure why. "I'm sorry. From behind you look like somebody I used to know."

"That so? Doesn't sound like you were too glad to see whoever it was."

Embarrassed, Scully answered, "I suppose not."

They rode the rest of the way in silence. At the Hoover building the fare was $8.26. Scully handed the driver a ten and waved away any change. As she got out the driver said, "What'd this Jilly do? Try to kill everyone in the world or something?"

Scully froze. "Not exactly."

The cab driver took her baseball cap off and smiled at Scully, her eyes brown and wide. "Want me to come back and pick you up later?" Scully's mouth was dry. "No."

The taxi driver winked at her, pulled her Redwings cap down low over her eyes and drove off.

Gabrielle was glad to be out of the fatigues. Even though she had been a medic she still disliked any kind of military uniform. She tied the sweater around her hips over the shorts she was wearing, surprised no one had ever thought of that. It was too bad she and Xena had to go back to Greece. There was so much she could teach these people. She sighed. There was only one of her. Sure, they could read her scrolls, but then they missed out on her dynamic presentation and the humility she exuded personally. She had read about Mahatama Ghandi. Mahatma meant Great Soul. He must've worshiped me, she thought with satisfaction. She was waiting in a coffeeshop for Xena. Outside the window she saw someone she recognized and waved. He came into the coffeeshop and sat down.

"What's wrong, Alex?" the bard said immediately.

Krycek looked at her. "Coffee," he said to a waitress. "What makes you think anything's wrong?"

Gabrielle could see the pain and loneliness in his eyes. "Kimberly's gone, isn't she?"

Alex nodded. "These things happen," he said easily.

"I'm really sorry, Alex," the small woman said and touched his hand. Krycek studied her, not exactly sure what he felt. She'd be easy to seduce if he cared to. But, of course, Xena was somewhere around and would castrate him if he did that. He found he wasn't interested anyway. He liked the way she just touched him trying to console him. Then a big figure was right there.

"What d'you want?" the Warrior Princess said threateningly. She was back in the Emma Peel suit she'd been wearing when he first saw her.

"Gods, Xena!" Gabrielle said. "I saw him and asked him to join me."

Alex sipped his coffee and stood up, leaving a couple of dollars beside the cup. "I'm going."

At the look Gabrielle gave her, Xena grudgingly said, "Sorry. You don't have to leave."

Alex said, "Gotta go stab a friend in the back." He started walking away and then turned quickly drawing the gun he wore on the back of his belt.

"I knew it!" Xena exulted, as she kicked the weapon out of his hand. Then she hit him with a backhand blow that sent him crashing over another table. Grinning, Xena was instantly over him and reaching down to grab him.

"Xena, stop it! Can't you see this is what he wants!?"

The Warrior Princess stopped at the words, then stepped away from him. She picked his gun up. Alex got to his feet gracefully and looked around at the other frightened customers. He was baring his teeth as he pushed his hair out of his eyes and wiped his bleeding mouth. Alex looked back at the dark woman, his body a live wire.

"Xena..." Gabrielle said pleadingly.

Krycek walked to the door. "Hey," Xena called and tossed his gun to him. Alex caught it deftly and left. Xena looked at all the customers staring at her. "Come on," she growled and walked out. Gabrielle hurridly put money down and followed after her.

When she caught up to her friend she said, "Xena, Kimberly left him."

"I figured that out. I'm the same when I get dumped."

Scully looked nervously up at Mulder who nodded encouragingly at her. She took a deep breath, reached out and knocked on the door. Scully glanced where she knew a video camera was hidden. From the other side of the door she heard, "It's them."

"Well, let'em in. She's not gonna shoot you again," Langley's voice answered sarcastically. Scully closed her eyes at the words.

The door opened and Frohike was looking at her. He smiled, a little nervously, and said, "Come in. Nice to see you again, Agent Scully." He was wearing dark clothes that made the white sling his arm was in stand out glaringly. Byers and Langley were waiting too. The agents stepped inside.

Scully said, "What can I say, fellas? I'm sorry. I...I..." She looked in Frohike's eyes. "I'm sorry I shot you." She reached out to lay a hand on his arm and saw him wince a little.

"You were brainwashed. Didn't we tell you that?" Langley said with an exaggerated shrug.

Byers said, "Considering your circumstances, trying to warn us off was doing quite a lot. We should've listened to you."

Frohike finally said, "Yeah, that's right. Don't worry about it, Agent Scully. We know that wasn't you. Lucky for us we had Dr. Covington to save our stupid asses."

Scully could tell he was bitter. It wasn't directed at her though. He was embarrassed. So was Langley. A little old lady in her eighties had swooped in and rescued them like she was Xena or Batman. Byers wasn't bothered by that but he didn't go around talking tough or have an alterego named Lord Man Hammer.

Mulder spoke, "See, I told you that's how they'd feel."

"Thanks, fellas," Scully said seriously.

There was a beeping and a computer terminal came on and a voice began intoning "The land was stricken and crushed in spirit..." before Frohike turned it off.

"Sorry," he muttered. "Forgot to reset the time."

"What was that?" Mulder said.

"Just something I found on a grad student's web page. It's nothing you'd be interested in," Langley said too quickly.

Mulder walked over and flicked a switch and the voice continued, "An evil Queen ruled by fear and blood. Had murdered her husband, crafty King Langland,"

He turned it off.

Scully said almost to herself, "we are waiting for Good Prince Samuel." Mulder looked at her and she explained, "It's how he got his start." She added, "the original Prince Samuel, I mean."

Mulder asked, "Did she kill King Langland?"

Scully shook her head. "No, but everyone believed she did. Queen Jilly didn't rule through 'fear and blood' either. That's how people thought of her though. I understand it's pretty accurate aside from that."

Byers said, "We're analyzing it for coded messages. It's been translated into thirty-six languages since GPS disappeared."

Frohike said uncomfortably, "Would you like some wine? Agent Scully? Agent Mulder?"

Mulder was going to decline but to his surprise Scully answered, "Yes, please." So Fox accepted one too. He watched Scully lift the cabernet sauvignon, studying the deep red liquid. "Can we hear the rest of it?"

Mulder was going to object but Langley said, "Sure. Better from the start," and pressed a couple of buttons. "I think this is Michael York but see what you think."

WE ARE WAITING FOR GOOD PRINCE SAMUEL

The land was stricken and crushed in spirit. An evil Queen ruled by fear and blood, Had murdered her husband, crafty King Langland, And taken his throne to rule alone. There was no hope for the broken brave people. We did not yet know Good Prince Samuel.

Terrible Jilly had fled the land, When war broke out Jilly was gone. Jilly the Butcher, the bloody Queen Was gone when her land needed her most. There was one hope for the brave people. Left behind was Good Prince Samuel.

Captain Angela, the Prince's beloved, Led our brave men across the sea, Crushing Terruk, a land of swine! Burning their cities, enslaving their women. She was the hope for the brave people, Killing Terrukans for Good Prince Samuel.

An army of Terruk invaded our land, To ravage the people and kill the kind Prince. The Terrukan swine were losing the war, This was their only cowardly chance. Our men were gone fighting the war. Where was there hope for a brave people? We turned as one to Good Prince Samuel.

The Queen's young brother loved the land, And though no soldier, untried in battle, Abandoned by Jilly the same as the rest, Told us all to fight for our homes, Side by side with he and his guards, Side by side with the Prince of Blood! He was our hope, he rallied the people. We wept and cheered for Good Prince Samuel.

Prince Samuel was young and handsome and wise, Outwitted the swine, played them for fools. Broke their spirit, taught them a lesson, Drank their own blood in front of their faces! Playing for time, as relief sped our way, We impaled the swine for Good Prince Samuel.

Side by side we fought with Prince Samuel, Many gladly took a sword meant for him, He ordered us not to, but we disobeyed him. He was the soul of the brave people, They were heroes who died in his stead, We would not lose our Good Prince Samuel.

His well laid plans came to fruition, Relief arrived at the last moment. Angela came to cut all their hearts out, Her war cry resounding struck them with terror! Captain Angela came to rescue her Sammy. Zeus bless the Captain and Good Prince Samuel!

This story I've told is not of my land. A degenerant king still squats on his throne. We pray that Prince Samuel will come and redeem us, Impaling his foes and drinking their blood, For that's what he does when he takes a new kingdom. We are waiting for Good Prince Samuel.

"Man! It's so cool!" Langley exclaimed, his earlier nervousness at playing it for Scully forgotten. Byers was watching wave patterns on another terminal as he listened and Frohike looked bored.

Mulder had been observing Scully whose eyes had a distant look as she listened, occasionally sipping her drink. He saw her tense up in response to what she was hearing several times. As it ended she took a large swallow of wine. Mulder recalled a similar scene in the Prince's study.

"Sisters, let me kill him!" Scully said eagerly, looking at a distinguished appearing man in a gray suit who was gagged and sweating with fear, his hands tied behind his back and his feet chained together. He was hanging upside down, the chain between his feet passed through a hook in the ceiling.

Mulder was tied to a chair, naked and also gagged. Fotena raised her head up from his lap. "No, Dana, not yet. Not until Lord Bacchus has annointed you." She dabbed at her mouth with a tissue.

Elvira who had just finished cutting down another body, this one of a beautiful naked black woman, now gray and drained of blood, added, "Fotena's right, Dana. Don't be in a hurry. You will have plenty of time. Thousands of years, probably." She carried the body over to a large glossy black rectangular box. Elvira opened the lid, dumped the carcass inside and closed it, pressed something and the box began making a soft humming sound. She washed her hands in a sink and then got three cut crystal wineglasses from a cabinet. Using an engraved platinum dipper she filled them from a marble bowel of blood. One she handed to Fotena who was wearing a black lace teddy and sitting on the arm of Mulder's chair, still playing idly with his penis.

Elvira kept a glass for herself and handed one to Scully in a striped bathing suit which was actually painted on. Elvira wore her usual transparent gown, her thick glossy dark hair tumbling in heavy rings over her white shoulders. The door to the softly lit, lushly appointed room opened and Prince Samuel came in with Clealisthsia. Sam had a tuxedo on and Clea was in a silvery backless evening gown that extended down to the cleft in her buttocks.

"How was the concert, Master?" Scully asked, as she walked over to fill two more glasses.

"Wonderful, Starbuck! I love Mahler. Elvira and Fo didn't care for Alma but you can't hold that against Gustav. Dawn Upshaw was fantastic." As he and Clea accepted the glasses of blood he noticed Mulder and said, "Really now, girls, there's no need for that. I'm surprised at you, Dana. He's just concerned for your welfare."

Scully took a deep drink and said with a smile, "Mulder loves it. Won't admit it but I know him, Master. Believe me, he's having the time of his life." She winked at Mulder.

The Prince chuckled and said, "Can't say I blame him. Okay, Dana, if you're sure of that. Just don't hurt him." He looked at the bacchae. "Once more, he's under my protection. Everybody understand? Elvira? Good."

The Prince drained his glass and walked forward to study the man hanging upside down staring in terror at him. "So this is Dan Quayle."

"Mulder. Hey, Mulder." He came out of his reverie at Scully's words. "What's with you?" she asked.

"Nothing," he muttered. "Just thinking."

Scully smiled slightly and sipped her wine.

There was a knock on his door. Mulder looked guiltily at the video he was watching and turned it off. He put a newspaper over the video box, Bound For Gloria. Part II. Mulder opened his door and felt his stomach knot.

"Prince Samuel," he said. The ruler was in a snow white suit which made his black hair stand out. Laconius stood to one side in his usual long leather coat. Knowing what to look for, Mulder could see where the sawed off shotgun made a slight bulge.

Sam smiled and said, "Hello, Fox. I wanted to do something for you to make up for before. I realize seeing your partner acting that way was very upsetting for you. You also very likely saved Karn from Callisto."

"Don't worry about it," Mulder said, then added, "your highness," as he saw Laconius's hand inching inside his coat. The hand stopped.

"There's no need for that," Prince Samuel said to the soldier. "Wait outside."

"Highness..." Laconius started to say.

Sam caught his eyes and repeated, "Wait outside, Laconius." The young soldier was pale but left. Prince Samuel looked back at Mulder. "Now you have me, Fox. You know how clumsy I am. You're an athlete, a trained agent who has used deadly force. You wanted to kill me because of Dana. Now is your chance. You won't survive, of course, but you were willing to pay that price before, I know."

Mulder felt his muscles twitching. Images of Scully with Prince Samuel and his bacchae were burned on his brain and he had wished for exactly this chance more times than he knew. The war with Jilly was won. Prince Samuel wasn't needed for that anymore. But....Scully didn't seem to hate Samuel. Who was he to hate him? The Prince had saved the world from his sister. And what had he really done to Scully or to him but fulfill their secret desires? The only thing Scully had ever said about her own experience was that it made hypocrisy difficult to maintain.

"I don't want to hurt you but I don't like you." Mulder said.

The Prince smiled, his teeth white beneath his curling dark mustache. "Why should you like me? But I want to give you something else. I knew you wouldn't murder me. A noble heart like you have...not likely. Fox, wanna meet some aliens? Real aliens?"

Mulder said softly, "The Slithloc."

The Prince nodded and smiled at him.

"All right....thank you," Mulder said.

"Come on. I'm afraid Laconius's hair is turning gray out there from worry."

The Prince started toward the elevator. He tripped and Mulder kept him from falling.

Mulder was fascinated by all the reptiles with their flicking tongues and winding tails. He tried to be observant, to be able to tell them apart. There were distinct groups, all with their own characteristics. One was relatively easy to spot because of red or yellow ridges above their black eyes. They were also larger and had longer snouts and more prominent teeth and claws than the others. That had to be the Military Caste he kept hearing about. There were other groups that were smaller and didn't have the eye ridges. Mulder knew there were distinctions between them that he couldn't recognize; slight differences in their head shapes, the texture of their scales. It was something for a reptile expert or at least a scientist. Scully could tell 'em apart probably, Fox thought.

Laconius had given him a quick description of Slithloc society so he knew those were the Clerical and Technical and possibly the Server Castes. But what arrested his eyes were two Slithlocs who stood in the center of the hall, not far from Kush, Laconius and himself. They were as tall as the militaries but less bulky and had purple eye ridges. Whenever one looked around all of the other castes would look expectant. Their robes had a formal character different than the utilitarian garments of the others. The Lord Caste.

Mulder looked nervously at the powerful creatures standing on either side of him. He had to remind himself they were Kush and Laconius so he didn't just turn and run away. All the Slithlocs but the two lords began rustling in excitement. Mulder saw another Slithloc with purple ridges had entered the room. Laconius touched his arm and nodded his long snout, so Mulder knew this was the Lord Progenitor.. As one of the lords began making growling hissing sounds, Prince Samuel glanced at Mulder and he found himself able to understand what was being said.

"Welcome home, illustrious forbearer. We your children have eagerly awaited your return," a tall, almost willowly lord said.

"Is that so? That wasn't the impression I got. I thought you wanted me dead and gone so you could rule without me," the Lord Progenitor replied. Mulder felt his anger and knew all the others did too. The other castes seemed nervous though the two lords looked calm.

"You wrong us, Lord. We merely seek to lift the burden from your shoulders which must be weary from your eons of responsibility. Take a well deserved rest, grandfather."

Sam strode forward, his tail twitching in anger. He snarled, "'Grandfather.' 'Children.' Don't patronize me, Regan! Those are human relationships and humans are lower life forms. I know that's how you think. You act like I'm some doddering military who has to be kept from attacking the furniture! Makes you sick to think you have anything human in you from me. Too bad! That's what makes you a lord!"

The second lord spoke, "Forgive my caste brother Regan, Lord Progenitor. He meant no disrespect but rather wanted to honor the wellsprings from which you emerged triumphant to lead the Slithloc from darkness into light."

Mulder thought that seemed to calm Prince Samuel down a bit. "All right, you've always been a good girl, Goneril. At least up to this point. I'll forgive Regan's insolence for your sake." Mulder studied the Slithloc with surprise. He couldn't tell the difference between the males and females.

Goneril continued, "Let us take up the weight which you have carried for so long. Enjoy the fruits of your long labors."

Sam said, "Goneril....Goneril...you too? Why aren't there more Lords here to greet me? Where's Cordelia?"

Regan said, "Our caste brothers did not wish to tire you and so asked us to convey their respects and wishes that you take your ease as you deserve. We speak for Cordelia as well."

Mulder heard sharp hisses from many in the hall.

Prince Samuel slowly said, "Cordelia is with you?" Mulder almost winced at the pain he could hear and felt a ripple go through everyone present. Then the Prince slapped his tail loudly behind him making Mulder jump.

"You two traitorous dollots speak for the entire Lord Caste?" The Prince stepped away from the lords and tripped over his tail. Laconius quickly moved to catch him. Sam nodded at him perfunctorily and Laconius stepped back beside Kush and Mulder.

The Prince looked around the hall and wherever he looked Slithlocs began shaking. Mulder didn't think it was fear; more like they were experiencing a storm. That's what the Lord Progenitor's displeasure was to them.

The Prince pointed a long claw at a tall scarred military. "You...come here." The military stepped forward with alacrity. "Would you kill a friend of mine?" Sam said in a suddenly sweet tone.

Kush began to speak, "Lord..."

"Peace, Kush. Come not between the dragon and his wrath!" the Prince said harshly.

Mulder looked at Regan and Goneril. They had shown no reaction.

The military growled, "Yes, Lord Progenitor. But I would rather kill two enemies."

"There you have it. What is your name?" Sam asked.

"Topcliff, Lord."

With a jerk of his long snout the Lord Progenitor indicated the two lords. The scarred military walked up to them but then hesitated and looked back at Prince Samuel. He turned with a renewed purpose. The lords had still not shown any reaction, calmly waiting.

"Lord, don't! Please!" It was Laconius. Prince Samuel turned and caught the young military's eyes and Laconius collapsed. Kush began to step forward then he too collapsed.

"Go on," Prince Samuel ordered.

Mulder said, "I knew you were just a tyrant. You had Scully fooled but I knew. Even Hitler and Stalin didn't kill their families."

Every military hissed in outrage and the nearest were about to rip the human to shreds but the Lord Progenitor said, "Stop that!" freezing them. He looked at Topcliff and said "Wait." He reached up and tapped a long sharp tooth with a curved talon as he looked at the ground. After a moment he added, "Thanks anyway. I'll remember your loyalty." The military walked shakily away from the two lords he had been about to kill. He had intended on taking his own life later. He could not disobey the Lord Progenitor but he could no longer live, knowing he had slain members of the Lord Caste. It didn't matter why.

Sam looked at Mulder. "Family is a human relationship. Slithlocs don't think that way."

"You're human," Mulder said.

The black eyes under purple ridges and over that long scaly snout caught his and Mulder did his best to not be overwhelmed. "Not really. Not for a long time. What I almost did was more human than Slithloc though." His forked tongue flicked out.

Goneril spoke, "Cordelia is imprisoned in her residence."

The Lord Progenitor swung his long head to look at the Slithloc and asked, "Why? How imprisoned? No military, I know."

"We thought it fit to appear united on this matter. Cordelia argued against us, the only lord who did," Goneril answered. "Other lords are guarding her. She is unharmed."

"You intended for me to kill you," Prince Samuel said with understanding.

Regan said, "Yes, Lord Progenitor. The human has upset that plan."

Goneril explained, "The other castes need an issue if they are to ultimately follow the Lord Caste. Our deaths would provide that."

"Martyrs...Jesus, talk about human...that's me in you for sure..."

Goneril said, "We would never intend harm to your person. We lords would not exist without you. You raised the Slithloc from barbarism to civilization, have lived millenia shouldering responsibilty, crushed under its weight as all have seen. The writings from a thousand years ago speak of your terrible weariness which all could see. It is time to step aside. We are no longer scampering from our eggs to the sea before the scallans can snatch us up."

"I know that," Sam said. "I'm the one who put an end to that disgusting spectacle."

Regan said. "We were conducting negotiations with the Lytton Federation when you ordered the Military Caste to attack them. It was all just shadows. A leader was trying to gain popularity by painting us as the evil empire. Just game playing."

"What about their military buildup on our border?"

"Just for show. We had observers. None of their weapons were armed."

"You should've told me!" Sam said.

Regan said, "We sent you word, Lord. You would not hear the messenger. You told her whatever it was the Lord Caste could handle it."

Sam remembered. In one day there were sixty-thousand casualties in Manchuria when the fighting finally began. He had gone to see the wounded and had just spoken to a boy wrapped in bandages who lost his legs. A messenger came up and Sam had barked that at her. A thousand years ago he wouldn't have done that. "What about the Lytton?" Sam said, prepared for the worst.

Goneril answered, "The Military Caste never received your command to attack them."

Outraged growls and hisses exploded from militaries in the hall.

Sam said, "That wasn't a Lord Military I spoke with."

"No, Lord. It was a clerical," Goneril said. "He is sedated now to prevent him from taking his own life."

"I'll speak with him," Sam said. "You decided now was the time to make your move." He glanced over at Kush and Laconius, who had regained consciousness and quietly gotten to their feet.

Regan said, "Angela was absent as were you and Kush. When we would have such an opportunity again?"

"You win," Sam said quietly, turned and walked out of the deathly silent hall. Kush and Laconius followed and Mulder stayed close by them because of the looks he was receiving from all the other militaries. Looking back, Regan and Goneril nodded at him.

The cab pulled up smoothly and the passenger who was bundled up in an overcoat against the cold got in. "Where to?" the cab driver asked.

"Athens."

After the driver pulled out into traffic she glanced back and smiled. "Haven't seen you since stuck a sword through me when I was helpless."

The big woman in back unbuttoned her coat so her gun was in reach. "Yeah, been a long time."

The blonde giggled and was thinking how to kill her.

"Don't bother. You can't beat me anymore than you could ever beat Xena. Try to be smart just once, please. I know every move you'll make. You trained me, remember?" Kimberly said, "Killing you was one of the worst things I ever had to do. I'm not anxious to do it again."

"So where to, really?" Callisto asked after a moment.

"Airport. Like I said, I'm going to Athens," Kimberly replied, relaxing slightly.

"Jilly said you burned me on a funeral pyre," the driver commented after she called Dispatch to tell 'em her destination.

"Uh huh," Kimberly said, readying herself..

As she punched through a yellow light Callisto said, "I always kinda wanted a monument. Nothing big. You know, something tasteful. A frieze maybe. Words of wisdom by Sophocles or somebody."

Kimberly relaxed again and said, "That's a good idea. I'll arrange it soon as I get to Greece. How bout you and Jilly as a little girl? I'll put it up where Cirra used to be if I can."

Callisto was watching the traffic, "Me and my Jilly... Yeah, I'd like that."

"No problem."

"You kill her?" Callisto asked.

"Thanks for the compliment. No. Angela and Kush. They burned her on a pyre along with Paulie."

They didn't speak the rest of the way to the airport. "Thirty-two eighty-five," Callisto said.

Kimberly gave her a hundred dollar bill and waved away any change. Callisto nodded at her and drove off.

Kimberly watched the cab drive away, then reached into a pocket for a flask and took a swig before she walked into the terminal bulidng to catch her flight.

The tall pale man stepped into the restaurant and saw who he was looking for. He paused to light a Morley, ignoring the No Smoking sign, and walked over to the table where Mulder had seen him and was waiting. The woman he was sitting with only glanced up when the smoking man stopped at their table.

"Can't you see I'm busy?" Mulder said.

Taking a drag on his cigarette first, the man said, "I want to speak with you." He said to the woman like it was an order, "Will you excuse us?"

She hadn't spoken but indicated for him to take a chair. He frowned but sat down. She was a slender elegant woman with almond skin and striking platinum blonde hair and classic features.

Mulder smiled a bit and said, "This is Cordelia."

Before the smoking man could say anything the woman caught his eyes with her own black ones and he felt like a butterfly pinned to a board. The woman seemed to just be studying him then said, "You would be useful in a corrupt world. I can see that. A kind of Military Clerical but without the morality of either; a necessary evil. But you are limited and will never be more than a tool. A Caste Lord has compassion." He had heard the accent before and seen that foreign, vaguely Eurasion appearance.

"You are like Kush," he said in a hoarse whisper.

The woman calmly said, "Somewhat. He is a Lord Military. I am not a Caste Lord."

The man licked his dry lips. "You belong to the Lord Caste itself. What are you doing here?"

"A useful tool. But very limited and even potentially dangerous. It is unfortunate," she said softly. "With the conflict completed, others of your kind will no doubt try to kill you now, as you will try to murder them. Some such scheme brings you here now."

By exerting his will he managed to reach up and take his cigarette from his lips and was going to tap the ash on the floor. The woman pushed an empty cup toward him. "Put it in here and leave now. If Fox wishes to speak with you he will. For now do not interrupt our meal."

He dropped the cigarette in the cup and rose. He tried to speak but found he couldn't. He began backing away from the table.

"Bye bye," Mulder said as the smoking man shambled out of the restaurant. Looking back at his dinner companion he said, "Where were we?"

Cordelia softly smiled. "I asked you to explain jungle fever."

As he stepped out of the restaurant the tall man glanced around suspiciously and put his collar up. He took out another Morley and lit it. What had just happened was fascinating. The fact that it infuriated and humiliated him was of no importance. It was something to evaluate. Was Cordelia a new player? Was she moving against Prince Samuel or was she his agent? He knew there was some sort of power struggle though did not know any of the details. Should he side with her if he could? Betray her? Walking to his car he considered what she had said about his limitations. It was another way of saying what he already knew about himself. That was one reason he had always wanted Fox Mulder to work for him. Mulder's advice could perhaps provide him with what he knew he lacked. What did Mulder have to do with the Lord Caste? Could Fox be turning into a player himself finally?

As he reached his car in the dark parking lot he heard a scraping and stopped. "Hello, dog."

He took a drag of his cigarette and said, "Helms. Where are you?" "Look down, dog."

He did as he was told and saw a large unclear shape in the shadows low to the ground. As he looked he saw what seemed to be a tail slowly moving. A pincer was barely visible as was Helm's bald head. The demon scuttled forward into the

light and smiled up at the smoking man. Forcing himself not to run he took another puff. "Well...so...what do you want?"

Helms sharpened a tusk on the ground a moment then answered, "My wonderful lord has given you to me as a gift. Since Captain Angela says you served well I cannot slay you, however. Merely toy with you. You should have sacrificed to Hades, dog. With your service that would have protected you. But you were too proud."

The man pulled a gun and emptied it into the creature which grunted as it was hit but that was all. Helms leapt at him and held him in a powerful claw. "The noise will bring others but I want to spend some time with you, dog." Holding the struggling man Helms bounded off into the darkness.

Mulder came out of restaurant and drew his gun as he scanned the parking lot. Behind him others were also emerging. Cordelia stepped beside him. Fox put his gun back in his holster. "Probably just what you said. He's playing games with somebody. I should investigate."

The lovely almond skinned woman laid a hand on his arm. "Isn't it enough for you to inform others? We had plans."

Fox looked at her and felt himself sinking into her black eyes. "Yeah, I can just call it in."

Cordelia smiled. Fox shook his head to clear it and took out his cellphone to call Skinner and Kersh.

The ambulance was driving along near the reservoir in the cold crisp morning air. It came to a stop and paramedics climbed out along with a tall figure with red hair and long black leather coat.

"He's around here somewhere," she said.

They all began searching and soon a female paramedic called out "Over here." Angela came sauntering up as the ambulance personnel had an oxygen mask on the naked broken form. She reached into a pocket and came out with a pack of Morleys. She lit a cigarette with a gold lighter then squatted next to the man.

"Take the mask off a second," she ordered. One of the paramedics was going to argue with her but then changed his mind.

"Hey," Angela said sharply and the pale man opened his bloodly swollen eyes a crack. She held the cigarette to his lips a moment so he could inhale. Angela stood back up, the paramedics put his oxyen mask back on, and they carried him up to the ambulance. Angela frowned with distaste at the cigarette and dropped it and ground it out, then walked back to the ambulance and climbed in the back.

The doorman took her valise and held the door open for the tiny old woman who came out on crutches. She saw his solicitous look and bit back what she felt like saying to him. "Thanks," she said.

"Do you need a taxi, mam?" the young man asked.

The old woman gritted her teeth and said, "Yeah, thanks."

"Mam, excuse me, but are you, Janice Covington?" the doorman said.

She looked at him in surprise, "Yeah, I'm Covington."

The young man smiled. "My father was one of your students at Cambridge. Wait till he hears I met you!" He looked down at his uniform. "He was on a scholarship. I'm working my way through school."

"What was his name?" Covington asked.

"George Johnson, mam."

"I remember him. Tell him hello for me." Janice actually had no idea who he was. Mel would be proud, she thought.

"Yes, mam!" the doorman smiled at her and walked off to hail her cab. Janice smiled wryly and took her hat off and looked at it. She should get that bullet hole fixed. It'd been forty-three years already. Just kept procrastinating.

She saw a cab waiting but then it tore off like a bat out of hell with screeching tires and another taxi drove up smoothly and took its place. The young doorman looked with surprise at the departed cab then waved at Janice who went out to the curb on her crutches. The trunk popped open and the doorman put her valise in and closed it, then held the door open for her and helped her navigate getting in.

Janice handed him a big tip and he said, "Thanks, Dr. Covington. Wait'll I tell my dad about this."

"Whatever," the old woman mumbled after the door was closed. "Airport," she said to the driver.

"Okay."

The picture badge caught Janice by surprise. It looked sorta like Jilly. It wasn't though. This was a Heidi Hody.

"You some kinda celebrity? " the driver commented as she got on the expressway. The old woman frowned, not really feeling like talking but answered, "Nah, just an old teacher. His dad was a student."

"What did you teach?"

Janice groaned inside but thought about what Mel would want her to do.

"Archaeology."

"Huh," the driver commented noncomittally. Janice was relieved. "Know anything about Ancient Greece?" the driver asked.

The old woman began to feel uneasy. It was a wide jump but not an impossible one for the cabbie to say that. "Matter of fact, I do."

"Thought so. Recognized you. Read Journey to Amphipolis a little while ago." Janice relaxed again. "How'd you like it?" she asked with a smile, sensing some criticism.

"Oh, I'm nobody to judge. Not much school, ya know? Had to go to work when I was a kid."

Janice was warming to the driver. She had a thousand times more respect for the opinion of someone like this than most of the rich snots that had filled her classes. "You didn't like something. What was it?" she asked.

The driver didn't answer a moment as she got on the freeway and accelerated heading toward the airport. "Well, you coulda been more critical of Xena is all. Seemed like you just took Gabrielle of Poteidaia's word for everything. The 'great Warrior Princess,' 'the noble hero'....what about before, huh? What about all the people she hurt? Places like Cirra weren't such big fans. You kinda glossed over her Destroyer of Nations side. She's the one who turned the Amazons into has-beens. Killed all their best leaders and they never recovered. She conveniently didn't mention that later when she got all chummy with 'em."

The old archaeologist was surprised at the anger she could hear. She said, "Well, yeah. Actually, Henry Sallwethy raked me over the coals about that eventually. One of my own students....my best student really. Wish he'd stuck with Archaeology instead of switching to History. The bad stuff about Xena came out later. Check out Hank's stuff if you're really interested. I never heard that about the Amazons."

"Yeah, well history is written by the winners. Sallwethy, huh? Thanks for the tip." She drove in silence for a while then said, "How would you feel if your family was burned alive and everybody thought the person who did it was the best thing since olive oil?"

Covington had tensed up. There was something almost out of control about the driver's voice now.

"And what about Jilly? Her father Detrius was in Xena's army when he took her mother as a slave. He screwed Jilly over as bad as Callisto was by Xena...pimped her... fucked her...cut her tongue out. Callisto rescued Jilly. But everybody thinks Xena was this wonderful hero and Callisto was just a crazy murderer! Because of Gabrielle and her fucking scrolls!"

Janice wished her gun wasn't in her valise in the trunk. This cabdriver was nuts. "Like I said, check out Sallwethy's stuff. In his book about Prince Samuel's dynasty, The Blood Kings, he gives background on Xena, The Sword of Ares, and Queen Jilly. Calls 'em a 'triumvirate of terror' if I remember right. Hank had a nice way with a phrase. Mentions Callisto too. Says Xena was worse before she refomed."

"I will," the driver said, sounding mollified.

Janice knew she should keep her mouth shut but asked, "I never heard that about Jilly's father...or the Amazons. How do you know that?" She'd always put curiosity ahead of her safety and wasn't about to change now. Beat dying of emphysema. The driver didn't say anything but Janice could see how tense the back of her neck looked, then the cab swerved into an exit. She pulled the cab to a screeching halt by the side of the road as soon as they were off the ramp and twisted around to look at the old woman.

"I'm Callisto! And you're a descendant of the irritating little blonde. You have to be. If I knew where they were now, I'd take her and Xena your head just like Jilly did with Ahmat!"

The old woman reached for the door handle but Callisto's hand flicked out and locked the door. Her other hand came up with a gleaming round blade Janice recognized as a chakram.. Janice looked in the mad wide brown eyes which gradually calmed down and the driver got that famous smile that seemed too wide for her face.

"My, my, my. Almost like the old days. Don't worry. I'm not gonna hurt you.

Maybe if you were fifty years younger and could put up a decent fight." She turned back around, restarted the car and got back up on the freeway. In her rearview mirror she saw the old woman lighting a cigar. "Hey! No smoking in my cab!"

"Kiss my ass!"

"You want me to kill you?" Callisto growled.

"Go ahead and try, you crazy bitch!" Janice Covington snarled. Callisto laughed and rolled her window down to air out the smoke. At the terminal she got out and opened the passenger door, then took the valise out of the trunk. Covington awkardly emerged from the taxi with her crutches.

"Sixteen dollars even," Callisto said.

The old woman eyed her then gave her a twenty, picked her valise up and walked on her crutches into the airport building. Callisto readjusted her baseball cap and looked over as a family waved at her. She went to help them put their luggage in the trunk of the cab.

The restaurant was busy but not packed. Though still good everyone said the food wasn't what it used to be. The wiseguys thought Jilly was either dead or in the Witness Protection Program. No one else had any idea what happened to her. Vicky, the daughter of Cal Snope's old boss Jimmy Falconi, was running it now. She did her best but knew as well as anyone it wasn't what it had been with Jilly.

Alex carefully came in and gave his name and was led to a table. He'd received a phone call to confirm his reservation. It was news to him. He'd come to see what was up, ready to shoot his way out if that was what he had to do. He wanted to do that. Why else walk into such an obvious trap. Ever since Kimberly had left he felt a void that made him furious. Perhaps he could find some release in violence. He had been picking up women and men for anonymous sex but that just left him feeling empty and wanting Kimberly even more. Killing was more exciting than sex anyway.

A waitress approached and he glanced up. "Athena," he said quietly.

Holding a pad the waitress said, "Good evening. I'd recommend the Neapolitan breast of chicken with scallions for you and the clams in red sauce for your guest when she arrives. The antepasto is excellent."

Krycek felt his restored arm tingling. He said, "That sounds fine. Thank you." He made a selection from the wine list.

The waitress wrote the order down, then looked over and said, "Here's your dinner companion. I'm sure you want to show her a good time."

Alex saw Monica being led over by another waitress that he didn't recognize, a blonde. The waitress was saying, "I like to give'em a good lick then go all the way up and just nibble the tip. Drives 'em wild!"

Monica, in a blue dress from the Gap nodded. "Altoids are good. Hey, this place is like tubular!"

The blonde smiled, and glanced around. "Yeah, it is nice in a mortal sorta way. Think about kneepads, honey. I don't get rugburns--AS IF! But you oughta be careful."

Monica cried out, "ALEX!"

Krycek rose to be gentlemanly, mindful of what Athena had said. He was appalled. "Hello, Monica." She moved to hug him. Alex felt the eyes of Athena and the other waitress and returned the hug, Monica's big breasts pressing against his chest. He held her chair for her. She giggled and sat down. Alex returned to his seat and waited for some clue but the waitresses disappeared.

He just made small talk with Monica, his mind racing trying to imagine what

this was about. She thought they were getting back together and he had arranged this. He played along. Monica's eyes were red with emotion.

The meal was excellent, the waitresses simply bringing their food. The blonde and Monica would whisper to each other and giggle a little. Alex was as charming as he knew how to be, asking Monica about her beautician classes and the internship she was applying for. At the end of the meal the two waitresses reappeared.

Athena said, "It is time to pay your debt." He looked up. She wasn't talking about the meal and she wasn't talking about money.

"Hey, studmuffin," the blonde waitress said. He looked over at her and she blew a kiss at him. Alex blinked his eyes then looked at Monica. He got up from his chair and down on one knee.

"Monica, I love you! Marry me, please!" Krycek said fervently to the pretty chubby brunette who was chewing gum. He couldn't stop himself. Something inside him really felt that way. Another part was stunned at what he had just said.

"Oh, Alex! Yes!" Monica said. She looked up, "It was just like you said!" "I've got a feel for these things, sugar," the smiling beautiful blonde answered.

Monica seemed to simply freeze, her mouth open and eyes half closed. Alex saw the other patrons were also motionless. He felt a homicidal rage at what was being done to him at the same time he felt love for Monica. As he resumed his seat, quivering with fury, Athena said, "You are getting better than you deserve. Having to taste a bit of what you have done is a small price indeed for your many crimes. You will even come to cherish Monica...eventually."

The blonde said, "This was tricky, making it so you love her but understand what's going on. Usually I just make somebody fall head over heels and that's that. Oh, I helped you get over Kimberly and her over you. Monica doesn't need that kind of competition."

Athena added, "You will not be punished as you merit. I have a use for you." Monica and the other patrons began moving again.

A maitre d' walked up. "Everything all right here?" he said in a melodious low voice.

"Hey Ar..." the blonde said.

"Brother..." Athena said noncommitally.

Monica gushed, "This is the happiest day of my life!"

The maitre d' said without interest, "Whatever." The mortals except for Alex all froze once more. "You think you could just leave me out of this?"

"It's nothing to do with you," Athena said coldly.

"This was my favorite's servant as much as yours and you think it has nothing to do with me? Think again, sister. We both lost favorites."

"What dya want, Ar?" the blonde said with annoyance.

"Aphrodite...making yourself useful, I see. I don't want anything. Just wanted to make a suggestion to the happy couple." He put his hands on Alex's and Monica's shoulders in a friendly way.

"Brother..." Athena said, warningly this time.

Ares ignored her and said to Krycek, "You know what a good name for the daughter you two are gonna have would be? Jilly."

"No!" Athena said.

Ares smiled at her. "Take it up with Zeus. It's a done deal."

"He would never do that for you! Father despises you!" Athena said.

Ares smiled and said, "He would if his brother, Hades, supported me. Our uncle had plans for Alex himself. Hades wants to retire Helms and was grooming Alex. But you stole him away."

Athena coldly replied. "Very well."

"Oooo...that kinda throws a snag in your plans, Theny," Aphrodite ejaculated. Athena frowned. "No, it just recasts it somewhat." She glanced at Alex. "After your daughter you will have a second child, a son."

Aphrodite nervously ejaculated again, "I dunno about this, Theny. I really don't."

"Since when did you have a problem with incest?" Ares asked innocently, then slipped a finger down the back of her skirt between her cheeks. Aphrodite giggled, then seeing Athena's look made herself glare at Ares.

"It doesn't have to lead to that. But even if it does...I will have my beautiful man back!" Athena stated.

Alex had a sinking feeling. He asked, "Should I name him Langland?" The goddess nodded then disappeared in an explosion of mirrors, Ares in a blaze of fire, and Aphrodite in a swirl of ocean mist.

Alex felt something and discovered a small box in his hand. Monica squealed in delight and took it, putting the gaudy diamond ring on, and planting a wet kiss on his cheek. She had to retrieve her gum which stuck to his face. An accordion player came over and began playing the love theme from The Godfather. He looked at the exit and felt his restored arm begin tingling. Alex Krycek considered shooting himself and felt his gun disappear

Some Years Later:

Alex pulled his Ferrari into the driveway next to the stationwagon and got out. He looked at his lawn evaluating if he needed to mow it or not. He studied a patch in the right corner that had crab grass. Ever since he had dug that area up one night to hide the body of a German counter intelligence agent it had never really looked right. He walked up to his front steps, stepping over a banana seat bike. A car slowly drove past and Alex watched it carefully though not obviously. Stepping into his house he braced himself.

"Daddy!"

He looked up just as Jilly who was hanging from a chandelier launched herself at him and landed on his shoulders.

"Hi, honey," Alex said and lightly held onto her bare feet as the eight year old kissed the top of his head.

"Hi, Dad," Langland said. "Can you help me with my homework?"

Krycek looked at the seven-year-old boy who had come out of the kitchen. He said to his son, "Very funny. Where's your mother?"

The pretty little boy gave him that soft smile Alex remembered. "At her Gung Shun class, seeking inner peace and firmer thighs."

Before Alex could respond the little girl on his shoulders had jumped off her father and landed right in front of her brother who she grabbed by the front of his T-shirt "Don't talk about Mommy like that! Do you understand?! Do you?"

Alex sharply said, "Jilly!" not liking the crazy edge her voice had taken on. The small boy pointed at her chest, she looked down and he raised his finger to her nose. Krycek cringed as Jilly drove her fist into Langland's stomach then kicked him in the face. He quickly pulled her off her brother.

"He started it!" she cried.

"Well, I'm ending it," Alex said looking at the crumpled little boy, wondering if this would be another hospital visit. Everybody thought that he was the one punching out Langland. He'd had three visits from Child Protective Services already. When Jilly said she had done it they thought she had been coached by her father and looked at Alex like he was vermin.

Alex knew it wasn't all one way. Langland did worse things to his sister. It just didn't wind up in the emergency room. That was far to crude. Psychological torture was more his son's forte. He must know Jilly would kick his ass, Alex thought, but he does it anyway. Rubs her face in how much smarter than her he is. He walked over and helped Langland up as Jilly kept making protestations of her justification.

"Okay?" Alex asked seriously. The boy nodded but Alex sighed not liking his looks and picked the child up. "Come on, Jilly. We're going to the emergency room again. I hope you're happy."

"He started it!" the girl whined.