DIMENSION’S END - Cont'd

Liz braced for impact on the wet ground beneath the window. She twisted her body so her right side would take the brunt of the force. Her right hand and shoulder touched first. She tucked her trailing body in a ball and rolled finally coming up on her feet. The discomfort in her left thigh caused her to wince and look down at her blood stained jeans. There was a very neat slice in the denim compliments of Kai’s sword. Her main concern, however, was getting out of sight. She knew Xena would be right behind her. The warrior was relentless. Even Callisto wanted her to hurry.

"Come on... move it! She’ll be on you before you realize it."

Liz looked over her shoulder toward the opening she’d just come through. It was still dark and the rain continued falling. ‘This is good’, she thought. ‘The rain will at least cover my tracks.’ She dove for the shelter of a low hanging branch. And just in time. From the cover of the thick leaves, she could see Xena’s form in the window. Liz held her breath, keeping very still. She dared not move as long as Xena’s sharp eyes peered into the night. Liz’s imprisoned personality tried to take advantage of this aberration’s stillness. There had to be a way to break free. She had an advantage of sorts... a complete memory. This ‘other’ was operating on Callisto’s agenda, which was narrow and quite singular.

"This is wrong... let it go." Liz pleaded with herself to release the folly of having Sam again in this life. "You are being used by Callisto and Ares." The rationale had no effect. She could feel herself moving again. Her body began limping from one bit of cover to another. Liz fully understood where they were going and what was going to happen. If she could have severed her own leg to prevent this, she would have. Steadily, the two halves moved toward the stable and Gabrielle. They would arrive before Xena could even leave the Queen’s hut.

Xena made her way out of the building with Kai on her heels. Lysia was also in force, feeling she had a score to settle. Having just experienced Liz’s expertise, Kai decided to head directly for the stable to be with Xena. She figured two against one would be just about right. She ordered Lysia to alert Vectra. Her reasoning was two-fold. It would give the young Amazon a feeling of importance and would keep her out of harm’s way. She simply was too inexperienced to go up against this foe. They parted company on the compound yard.

Liz was breathing hard as she approached the stable. The pain in her leg was making walking difficult. She cursed Kai for this indiscretion. "Damn you!" She tried to focus on her task. The words of Callisto swirled in her head reiterating the rules. "Change the one thing that took Sam from you."

"Yes, the one thing," she muttered. Liz reached for the dagger, grasping it expertly. She inched the stable door open. It creaked as the hinge moved. When there was just enough space, she slid inside. Gabrielle was stirring under the blanket. How she could have slept through the storm was beyond imagination. The bard’s predictable habits would serve Liz well. She stepped forward and stood over the peaceful form of Gabrielle. A slight shift in her resolve caused a hesitation. She looked almost lost. The bard rolled on her back and opened her eyes. She was confused. Where was Xena? What was Liz doing here? Why did she look so strange?

"Liz? Are you all right? What’s wrong?" Gabrielle’s questions seemed too complicated to even answer. Liz stared at her seriously trying to remember why she was there.

Callisto was far too busy congratulating herself to recognize the importance of this small anomaly. She closed her eyes and waited for the sounds of Gabrielle’s life being sliced from her. She waited... nothing but silence. She opened one of her eyes, like a child peeking at a hidden prize and looked at Liz’s immobile form. "Now what!?"

Her tone was condescending. She was close to just killing both of them. The result would be the same... Xena’s pain and torment. She materialized next to Liz to drive her point home in person. Liz hardly looked surprised to see the goddess. In fact, she didn’t even flinch when Callisto popped up next to her. It was like she was expecting her. Argo, however, paced nervously in her stall, stamping the ground. And Gabrielle’s heart pounded.

"Callisto!" The word hung in her throat.

"Yeah...yeah... be right with you." Calli disinterestedly cast a glance at Gabrielle. She took a deep breath, pursed her full lips and draped a thin arm over her human creation’s shoulder, guiding her away from Gabrielle for a little private chat.

"Ok, what part of this do you not understand? Is it the actual killing part or the part where if you don’t, that little friend of yours gets torn to pieces? It’s quite simple... we had a deal. Now either do it or I’ll do both of you. What are you waiting for?"

Liz blinked and stared at her tormentor. "I don’t know. This doesn’t feel right." Callisto’s grip on Liz’s mind was being pried away by that small voice inside. The blonde psycho careened over the edge of the pit. She took Liz by the shoulders and lifted her off the ground. She was positively seething with anger.

"Doesn’t feel right!?" She screamed. "This isn’t about feeling anything. This is about feeling nothing... a nothing that comes from losing everything you care about. That is what we’re doing this for." As the words spat from her lips, Callisto hurled Liz across the room. Only the stable walls stopped her flight. The impact shattered the twisted control the goddess had perpetrated leaving Liz nearly unconscious and physically ill. She felt completely defiled... from the inside out. Mustering control of her fear, Gabrielle moved to help her friend, but Callisto was having none of it. She sent Gabrielle to the opposite side of the stable with a flick of her wrist, leaving her in a heap against the wall.

"No, no," she chided. "Not until I say so. Sweet Hera I hate mushy reunions!" Callisto’s rage was about to erupt full force. Only the sound of a very angry god behind her stopped the total conflagration of the stable.

Ares was beside himself. "What do you think you’re doing, huh? In the span of a few hours you have completely ruined my little surprise for Xena." He walked toward Callisto. "You just couldn’t wait, could you? What is it with this instant gratification thing you have?"

Callisto sneered at the god of war. "As a male, I’d think you’d have first hand knowledge about that. That is what you do when you’re alone, isn’t it?"

Ares rolled his eyes in a bored manner. He was done with this. "Well, this mess is all yours, Callisto. I can tell you Xena is right outside so I hope you’ve got a plan, because I’m leaving it with you." He turned to make an exit but paused. He had a parting warning for the goddess. "Don’t ever get in my way again... it wouldn’t be healthy for you."

As he vanished, Callisto spoke prophetic words. "Nor for you." She turned her attention to Liz and Gabrielle. "Ok, time for plan B."

Xena had felt the presence of Ares, but now he was gone. That meant Callisto was probably in charge now. Somehow, she preferred dealing with Ares. At least he was predictable. With Callisto, she never knew what form her dementia would take. That made her especially dangerous and difficult to defend against. Her only thought was for Gabrielle’s safety. If Liz was under Callisto’s control, she was as good a dead. Xena would try to keep her injury from becoming fatal, but if it became a choice between Liz and Gabrielle, there was no decision...Gabrielle and Argo...in that order. Xena’s mind and emotions were very clear on her course of action. Kai and Xena neared the stable.

"I want you to take the rear. Don’t enter the stable until I say so. Is that clear?" Xena spoke quietly to the young warrior. "Have Vectra join you... be ready."

Kai nodded silently and moved toward the rear of the building. Xena inched forward drawing her sword, her senses acute. The stable door was slightly open. She flattened her body against the rough wood and strained to hear any noise from inside. It was deathly quiet. Deftly, she moved the door just enough to admit her frame. Her eyes darted to the place where Gabrielle had been sleeping. The blanket was thrown to one side, and the bard was nowhere in sight. She stepped inside a little further, sword ready, and moving. Xena viewed every possible nook and space as she proceeded. Across the stable she could see Kai waiting just through a crack in the rear door. By now, Vectra would also be there. She knew Gabrielle was in here somewhere as was Liz and probably Callisto. She didn’t have to wait very long to find out.

"Why, hello, Xena." Callisto’s voice rang from above. "Imagine seeing you here."

Xena’s head snapped toward the upper loft. Callisto was standing just above her in an area where hay was stored.

"Where are they, Callisto?"

The goddess looked hurt. "What... no ‘Hello there, Callisto’? Where are your manners, Xena?"

"I guess I don’t have any where you’re concerned. Now where is Gabrielle?" Xena’s patience was wearing thin.

Callisto checked her nails and picked strands of hay from her tunic. "Oh, I’d say she’s hanging around... somewhere."

"XENAAA!!!!"

Gabrielle’s cry came from the far end of the stable, in the loft. She was standing at the edge, her hands tied behind her back and a very sturdy rope was secure around her neck. From what Xena could tell there was about six feet of slack and the end was looped over a heavy beam above the bard’s head. Gabrielle looked genuinely scared. She was struggling to move away from the edge, sending loose hay fluttering to the stable floor like golden strands of snow. "Xena... you know I don’t like heights! Get me down!" Involuntarily she inched forward.

The warrior raised a brow at Callisto and made a judgement. "You must be losing your touch, Callisto. You know I can save her." Xena removed her chakram from her belt and tensed to throw the disc at the rope.

Callisto sat on the edge of the platform, crossed her legs and leaned back on both hands. "Well, I’m sure you could save Gabrielle... but what about the other?" She jerked her head toward the opposite end of the stable. Xena saw Liz with the same fate around her neck. Callisto continued, "Now before you get any ideas about flinging that chakram all over the place, take a closer look under your dimensional friend."

Xena’s eyes trailed to the stable floor. Callisto had arranged a mass of stakes and sharp instruments beneath Liz. She clarified the obvious.

"So, you see, even if you’re successful in severing the rope, she’ll just be impaled. No win for you Xena. Even you can’t be in two places at once. You’re good, but not that good. Besides, that little bitch wouldn’t do what I wanted so I’m extra pissed at her."

Liz called from the loft. "Forget me, Xena! Save Gabrielle. Don’t let Callisto win... fuck her!"

Callisto had a look of sadness on her face. "Well, I will miss that...but it can’t be helped." She jumped to her feet, brushing the hay from her legs. "All right... no more talking. Time to dance," She pointed a finger to either bound woman, causing them to move against their will closer to the empty space in front of them... just a few more inches.

Xena steeled herself for action. She was certain she could save Gabrielle, but Callisto had virtually guaranteed that Liz would not survive. It was a very slim chance, but she knew what had to be done. She watched as both women neared the drop, perspiration beading on her forehead.

"Say, bye-bye." Callisto made a sharp movement with her fingers pushing Gabrielle and Liz from the loft.

"KAI NOW!!" Xena yelled to the hidden Amazon as she concentrated on Gabrielle’s falling form. The chakram sailed from her hand on an intercept course with the tightening rope. Kai and Vectra sprang from the rear of the stable. Kai took aim with her sword and Vectra kneeled, drawing her bow. Both released projectiles a split second apart...Kai’s sword on a path for the rope and Vectra’s arrow toward Liz. Xena had already started moving toward Gabrielle to break her fall. The chakram neatly severed the rope, zinged off a support beam and took flight toward Callisto.

The goddess watched as the drama unfolded at blinding speed. She fully expected Xena to save Gabrielle but allowing Liz to die would place a wedge between them. This was perfect. There was no way to save the other woman... or at least she couldn’t imagine a way. She was amazed at what was happening at the other end of the enclosure.

Liz saw the two points coming her way. She had an inkling as to Xena’s plan but called out none the less. "Nooooo!!!!"

Kai’s sword struck home, cutting the rope neatly. Liz was now falling directly into the waiting pit of death below her. She closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable. Vectra’s arrow found its mark. It pierced Liz in the shoulder and the sheer velocity of the shaft went through her flesh, the head coming out the back. The pain was unbelievable but what was really unbelievable was the fact the arrow deeply imbedded in a supporting post suspending Liz above the pit, impaled, but not dead. She dangled like a sock on Solstice Eve waiting to be filled.

Xena was in the process of freeing Gabrielle from her bonds, keeping a nervous eye on Callisto. She peered at Liz knowing she was in tremendous pain, but alive. The goddess was livid... again. How dare Xena spoil her prom. She waited for the chakram to come near and snatched it out of the air. She pondered what to do... so many choices.

Liz was about to make the decision for her. She mustered all the resolve she could through the blinding pain and yelled at Callisto. "Hey! Bitch! Foiled again by the Warrior Princess, huh? Why don’t you just pack it in and get lost?"

Callisto glared at Liz. "You’re not saved yet." She looked down at the warrior.

"Oh, Xena... looking for this?" The gleam in her eye was unmistakable; she was about to even the match.

"Callisto, don’t! It’s me you want, not some irksome brunette from another dimension. Come on, here I am. Let’s finish it." Xena was standing and inching her way to the center of the stable... her eyes never leaving Callisto’s. She was hoping the demented figure would ignore Liz long enough for her to close the distance. Xena couldn’t believe her ears as Liz further taunted the goddess.

"What’s the matter? Chicken? I bet you don’t have enough talent to finish this."

"Liz! Shut up!" Xena had a bad feeling about this.

Gabrielle had found her feet and was moving toward the end of the stable. Her heart was racing, and fear for Liz’s life was mounting. "What are you doing!? Please, stop."

Liz threw an icy look toward Callisto. Her words sent a shock through all those on the floor of the stable. Through clinched teeth, she spat, "Do it... I dare you." A slight smile formed on her lips as the words reached Callisto’s ears.

"No problem." Callisto let the disc fly. All Xena and Gabrielle could do was watch as it sailed toward the far end of the stable and the woman pinned to the post. Almost in slow motion, Liz watched the chakram fly at her. It struck one surface before angling on its final trajectory. She didn’t even feel it sever the arrow’s shaft from the post. She held her breath in morbid anticipation. It seemed like forever before she struck the first stake, its point piercing her chest and lung, but missing the heart and aorta. The second ripped through her abdomen and a third grazed her muscular thigh. She came to rest in a mangled heap. Callisto was laughing hysterically.

"I win, Xena. Just like always. I told you that you couldn’t save them both." A puzzled look crossed her twisted face as she chided the warrior. "Why won’t you listen to me? You never listen to me."

Callisto somersaulted from the loft over to the pit. Miraculously, Liz was still alive... just barely. She half smiled at the goddess and reached up with her free hand. She was trying to say something. Curiously, Callisto knelt beside the dying woman... crystal blue eyes focused on the goddess.

"Pay up... I win." The words were a supreme effort for Liz.

A rather confused expression formed on Callisto’s face. "No...no... that wasn’t the deal. You didn’t kill Xena or Gabrielle," she said in almost childlike tone.

Liz grabbed Callisto by the arm. She still had an amazing amount of strength.

"I changed the one thing... the main thing. I was the one thing. If she had never met me, she would be alive. Now, pay up." Liz struggled to maintain her hold... her lips were dark with the blood from her punctured lung.

Callisto jerked her arm away from the woman and stood up. "That’s not fair. You didn’t play by the rules. The deal’s off... no can do."

Gabrielle reached the far end of the stable, shoving Callisto out of the way. "Get away from her!" The bard was frantic. She knew there wasn’t any way to help Liz and she cried out in anguish. "Why did you do this!? Xena could have saved you, Liz." Tears were on Gabrielle’s face as she tried to comfort her friend. She looked to Xena for some kind of miracle. "Xena, do something."

The warrior just shook her head. There was nothing anyone could do. Even Kai and Vectra were stunned.

A hand on her arm drew the bard’s attention. Liz was nearly gone, but was trying to speak. Gabrielle tried to get the mortally wounded woman to save her strength.

"Shhh... don’t speak... we’re going to get you out of here." Gabrielle lovingly brushed the matted strands of dark hair from Liz’s pale face, her voice choking back her greatest fear. Liz pulled at Gabrielle, drawing her close. In a faint whisper, she spoke her final words.

"It’s ok, Gabrielle... everything’s going to be ok now... remember... seize the day..." Her eyes remained open, but the fire that was Liz drained out of them. Her grip melted away and she was gone.

A silence filled the stable, save for Callisto’s barely suppressed giggling. Gabrielle slumped on the floor as close as she could get to Liz, her hand still caressing the quickly cooling skin of her friend.

Xena grabbed Callisto, pushing her against the nearest post. She was inches from her face. "WHAT DEAL!?"

Easily, Callisto disengaged herself. "Oh, nothing really. Ares had this stupid plan about coming between you and bright eyes over there again... and we... well... um... asked Liz if she would help."

Gabrielle was seething. "Liz would never help the two of you. What did you do to her?"

"Gabrielle is right, Callisto. Liz had too much character to willingly submit." Xena moved near the goddess again. "What did you and Ares promise her?"

Callisto was exasperated with the way things had transpired. She looked at the pathetic form of Liz and sighed in a detached way. "Well, not that it matters now, but we offered to bring that girlfriend of hers back, if she would change the one thing that separated them. It took a lot of exertion to get her to finally uh... work with me on this." Callisto threw her head back in a sarcastic laugh. "As usual, Ares’ plan had a hole the size of his ego. She was clever... almost as clever as you, Xena. That bitch foiled my plan at the very last moment tricking me into killing her."

"You mean you prayed on Liz’s emotional distress." Xena wanted to cut Callisto’s black heart from her chest.

"Yeah... whatever." Callisto thought for a minute, nervously biting the tip of her finger. "But all my not be lost. I just might be able to salvage this fiasco after all." Her face broke out in a deranged smile as she began to pace. "This is perfect!" She turned to Xena and Gabrielle, explaining her twisted thinking. For all appearances, she looked like someone planning a party. "You see... it doesn’t matter if her girlfriend comes back, they’ll still be separated... only now, Liz is dead... how delicious. And somehow, this is still all your fault, Xena."

"What do you mean?"

"Gods, you’re slow. Don’t you see... if Liz had never met the two of you, then she and that lover of hers would be alive. And sadly, I wouldn’t be enjoying this close moment with my very dear friends." Callisto turned in a small circle, hugging herself, preparing to leave. One last time, she surveyed the carnage before her. "Well, I hate to kill and run, but I’m bored with all this. You’ll forgive me, Xena dear, if I don’t hang around for clean-up duty. We’ll do this again... soon."

Xena’s eyes glowed with hatred. "I promise you, if it’s the last thing I do, I will kill you."

"Ah... promises... promises." Callisto blew Xena a kiss and simply vanished.

Gabrielle’s voice served to quell the rage churning inside the warrior. "Xena, we need to..." She could hardly find the words, "... you know." There was such gentleness in Gabrielle’s voice, a soothing balm for all the wounded souls in attendance.

"Yes, I know. Let’s get her out of there."

Xena, Kai and Vectra moved toward Gabrielle. The four of them gently removed the woman from her prison. When she was freed, Gabrielle looked for something to cover her. She picked up the blanket that she had lain under just a few short hours before. Absently, the bard smoothed the cover, tucking it snugly around Liz.

Kai had a question on her lips. "She did all this to bring back her lover?" She was still puzzled.

Xena stared off into the distance, seeing the real reason. "Liz did the only thing she could. She knew her life was forfeit by agreeing to Ares and Callisto’s terms. Rather than engage me in a fight, which Callisto knew she would lose, she intentionally pushed Callisto into killing her. It was Liz’s way of being released and making the bitch complete the bargain."

"But if Callisto makes good her promise, Liz and her lover will never be together. She did all this for nothing." Kai’s reasoning was sound.

"Anything done out of love is never wasted." The voice behind them was even and knowing. Artemis had quietly appeared. Even Xena looked surprised and bowed her head in respect. Kai and Vectra went to their knees. The younger Amazon had never actually seen the goddess. She was in shock.

Gabrielle was the only one who spoke. "Artemis, can you help?" Her question was direct.

The goddess of the moon walked to the covered body. Her soft brown eyes peered lovingly at the form on the ground. "I can do nothing for her in this life, Gabrielle, she has passed over."

"Can you stop Callisto’s plan then?" The bard needed something to go right.

"I will deal with Callisto... be sure." Her tone was calm and unhurried.

Gabrielle looked at the ground, her brow furrowed. "Artemis, what shall we do?"

"I will take care of her, Gabrielle."

The goddess stood over the body, her radiance spreading like a melting candle... warm and soft. The sheer brilliance made watching difficult. When the light faded only the rumpled blanket was left. Artemis had taken Liz with her.

Xena wrapped her arms around her lover. "Come on, let’s get out of here." She started moving Gabrielle out of the stable.

The bard thought about the conversation she’d had with Liz on the road that day. She drew Xena close to her. "Have I told you how much I love you?"

Xena responded quietly, "Many times, Gabrielle."

Gabrielle held her tighter as they walked from the stable. "Well, I just wanted to tell you again." She paused at the stable door and turned to look inside one more time. "Where will Artemis take Liz, Xena?"

The warrior held her bard even closer. "She will take her home, Gabrielle."

Two figures raced across the hospital atrium floor. It was obvious something dire was occurring. Had the elevator doors not already been open, the two would have hit the stairs, bounding the three flights to ICU.

"God, what if we lose her, Randi?" Roger’s voice was cracking.

"We’re not going to lose her... I refuse to lose her to something I can’t understand." Fear had a hook in Randi’s well-ordered mind, its insidious nature wearing away her calm.

The elevator rose toward the third floor. Randi and Roger exited and went right past Ms.Jarmon into ICU proper... not even making a pretense of stopping. The assembled number of staff in Liz’s space was a testament to the seriousness of the event. There wasn’t enough room for them to enter, and they had to stand just outside the enclosure. Randi could see Liz’s face. She focused on that face, blocking out the invasive nature of the medicine being practiced on her friend. She and Roger held on to each other as Ruth joined them in the bright corridor. She had a very calm, serene look on her face. At first, Roger thought this meant everything was okay, but the look in Ruth’s eyes told a much different story. It was a look of resignation and acceptance.

He put a hand to his quivering mouth. "Oh, God..."

"It’s going to be all right, Roger. Liz really does know what she’s doing." Ruth’s voice was steady and reassuring. "We have to trust her... no matter what happens."

Liz’s three best friends stood together as the final push started in the cubical. Rita was in complete control of all the action.

A variation on the heart monitor signaled the beginning. Joanne had her team ready.

"Ok, people, here we go." The truth was, Joanne didn’t know what was going to happen. Given the recent events concerning this patient, she half expected Liz to sit up and her head to start spinning around. She got the next best thing. Liz’s heart rate shot through the roof as did her blood pressure. A dark red stain began coloring the hospital white sheet at her neck.

Doug was about to intubate Liz to maintain her airway during a code when he noticed the spreading discoloration.

"Shit!" His exclamation said it all.

Rita pulled the sheet from Liz’s shoulder, her eyes staring at a very deep puncture just medial to the joint and beneath the clavicle. She quickly ran her gloved hand to the back of her shoulder. Her skilled finger felt a similar hole. The color of the blood indicated it was venous, not arterial. Whatever had made the puncture missed the major blood supply.

"Damn good shot," she muttered.

"What!?" Joanne wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

"Nevermind. Give me some 4 bys, now!" Rita’s bloody hand was waiting for the sterile squares to cover the anterior and posterior wounds. She continued leading the charge. "Get her tubed, Dougie, right now!"

The respiratory therapist slipped the laryngoscope skillfully into Liz’s mouth. He directed the lighted tip just past the base of the tongue, clearly seeing the trachea and esophagus. The inverted V of the vocal cords was visible. He hesitated a second. Knowing Liz hadn’t been given a paralyzing agent to relax the cords, he would have to wait for her to take a breath, then proceed.

Gingerly and quickly, he guided the endotube down the mainstem bronchus to the bifurcation of left and right passageways. Liz’s involuntary protest was minor. Doug connected the ambue bag to the open end of the tube and sent air into her lungs. He listened with his stethoscope to insure both lungs were inflating and all the lobes were involved. Satisfied, her nodded to Rita and removed the bag, allowing Liz to breathe unassisted.

For a moment she lay quiet in the bed. The room was charged with suppressed energy... waiting. Doug watched Liz breathe on her own, taking in a slow steady stream of air. He thought to himself how peaceful she looked. He noticed a slight tenseness in her body...almost like she was holding her breath. Then all hell broke loose.

"Sonofabitch!" Doug was watching the red fluid spew from the open end of the tube. He quickly inserted a suction catheter and began siphoning the blood out of the lung. "What the hell is going on!?" He quickly listened for breath sounds through his scope. "I’ve got a collapsed lung here! Damn! I’ve got a punctured lung! How in the hell..."

At the same time, the hole appeared just below Liz’s right breast. It was obvious. Doug’s problem and this were two parts of the same puzzle.

"Pressure’s falling." Joanne’s voice was laced with a fear she’d not experienced. This clearly was not normal. "We’re losing her."

Rita watched Doug trying to clear Liz’s airway and was mesmerized by the gaping hole in her chest. She could hear the lung’s attempt to inflate, but with the hole, there wasn’t sufficient pressure. She quickly covered the wound with her hand to give Doug the backpressure he needed. She knew in her heart they should just stop, but she was on autopilot.

"Stay with her, Doug." Rita’s eyes betrayed the words coming out of her mouth. She amended her request. "As long as you can."

The opening wound in her abdomen spelled the end. It was clear to Rita this was beyond her healing power and knowledge. Joanne hadn’t ‘gotten it’ yet. She watched the hole open and actually thought they could do something to stop this process.

"Get a surgical pack open! Gown and gloves for Dr.Spenser." She was in the process of clearing a table for the sterile instruments.

Rita pulled her soiled gloves off and tossed them in the biohazard bucket. It was a symbolic gesture.

"Enough." Rita’s word was simple.

Joanne didn’t understand. "What? Enough what?"

"Enough of this. We have to let her go, Joanne."

"We haven’t even started, doctor!" The nurse was quite correct, but Rita was more correct.

"Joanne, this is beyond us. Liz is mortally wounded. She is dying. Let her die with some dignity." Rita motioned for the extraordinary efforts to cease. She knew she’d be up before the credentials committee over this, but it felt right to stop.

"But... you can’t just stop..." Joanne protested.

"I can... and we are. I take full responsibility." Rita looked at Doug. "Dougie, extubate her, ok?"

The therapist did as he was told, deflating the cuff around the tube and sliding it from Liz's airway. She actually looked relieved to him. But surely this was just a projection of his own relief.

"Now, everyone out. Only her family in here." Rita watched as the team reluctantly filed out of the cubical. Joanne went straight for the phone, presumably to call the Director of Nursing and the Hospital Administrator. Rita couldn’t be bothered with politics at the moment. She motioned for Randi and Roger to come in. Ruth followed closely. Rita pulled a blanket over Liz’s nude and insulted body. Only her face was visible to those around her. She was taking very shallow, difficult breaths. An audible ‘gurgle’ was heard on every effort.

Roger stood on one side of the bed and Randi, the other. Words couldn’t have possibly expressed all they were feeling. It was enough to be with her at the very end... loving her. Liz took a very deep, painful gasp of air and opened her eyes. Randi would remember how clear and sparkling they were... how alive. Roger would see the unconditional love in her face.

Liz coarsely whispered,"...it’s going to be...ok....." Her gaze fixed on her friends, and she quietly slipped away.

The shock was numbing. They had lost her. After all they’d been through she was gone. Rita slumped in a chair, put her head in her hands and wept. Roger looked at Ruth. His painful question said it all.

"How is this ok?" His denial had started. "You said she knew what she was doing. She can’t leave..." His voice trailed off as he returned his eyes to his friend. "We’re not done yet."

It was some time before the four of them left Liz to the care of the staff. Rita escorted them to a private room to collect their thoughts or to just break down. This was truly the worst day of all their lives, and it reflected in their faces... all except Ruth. It was as if she knew something the rest of them didn’t. Or perhaps it was because she saw life from a much different perspective. It hardly mattered.

The entire ICU staff was shaken. They had never seen an event like this. Coming up with a cause of death even posed a problem. Joanne was trying to complete the mound of paperwork associated with a patient expiration. She had made the call for James, from the hospital’s morgue. He would transport Liz downstairs. The rest of the staff had methodically disconnected Liz from all the monitoring equipment and IV’s. They had washed the gross blood from her body and placed a clean, crisp sheet over her. Finally, all was ready. The orderly and two of the nurses moved Liz’s body to the waiting gurney and securely tucked the sheet in on all sides. As she was rolled to the waiting elevator in ICU, a silence fell over the unit. Not one word was uttered until the elevator doors closed. Their lives would not be the same.

The ride to the morgue was unhurried. James had worked in that place for nearly thirty years. He had a respect for the dead that was in many ways comforting. He allowed his charges final dignity. He believed everyone deserved to be treated with love on this last journey. The elevator opened to a brightly-lit room. He pushed the stretcher toward a set of stainless steel double doors. The only sound was the incessant wobble of one of the wheels... but even that had a rhythm. On the other side was row after row of refrigerated storage slots. He picked up the chart and extra paperwork and walked toward the medical examiner’s office. There were forms he had to fill out before finally giving Liz a resting-place. He sat at the desk to complete his task.

The faint glow around the gurney went unnoticed. The form of Artemis was invisible to all mortals here. She stood next to the body, her vibration joining with the lifeless figure.

"Come with me, Liz. The gods have interfered with your life too many times. Time to go home."

"What you ask is not possible, Artemis. I cannot interfere in human affairs." Zeus was giving his best imitation of an unyielding king of the gods. Had he been dealing with Athena or Aphrodite, his task would have been simpler. But Artemis was different. She had a special place in Zeus’s heart. It was often his undoing where her demands were concerned. This time, however, what she asked was very well outside his godly authority. This was mostly due to his persistent habit of staying clear of controversy. He hated having to explain his decisions to Hera. The woman just plain irritated him.

Artemis was very focused on her task. She would not be denied and stated her case.

"I’m not asking for interference, I’m asking for righting of a horrible wrong. The gods have done nothing but interfere in this mortal’s life... starting with Aphrodite and that stupid game the two of you played. You are as much at fault here as anyone, and as king of the gods, you have power to do anything you chose."

One normally didn’t threaten Zeus, and even Artemis was treading shaky ground. He was uncomfortable with his daughter’s accusation. He was equally nervous with taking any decisive stand on this issue. Rising from his seat, he approached her and rebutted with a weak defense.

"How was I to know things would get so out of hand?" He waved a hand dismissively. "No, this is out of my hands," he persisted. "And as I recall, you’ve had more than your share of manipulating this woman’s life."

Artemis took Zeus’s comment in stride. "You’re wrong, of course. I never manipulated the outcome of any of the woman’s decisions. I was there simply as a guide, but this time I fully intend to be an active participant. Unless you haven’t noticed, the gods and goddesses of Olympus are about to have a huge problem with Callisto."

Zeus sighed, "Callisto is an irritation, not a real threat against the true immortal gods."

Calmly, Artemis interjected. "Then the fact she was working with Ares doesn’t bother you in the slightest?"

"Ares?" Zeus had a look of genuine surprise on his face. "What did Ares have to do with this?" The mention of his petulant offspring always meant trouble. "With the exception of Xena, he could care less about mortals."

Artemis moved ever so slightly around the room while filling her father in on the latest. "This is true, however, he has no qualms in using anyone or anything to satisfy his obsession with the Warrior Princess. And he’s been actively trying to destroy my chosen, Gabrielle, for a long time. This was just one more failed attempt to do just that... only this time there was an unnecessary death. He and Callisto conspired to have this mortal kill Xena and Gabrielle. He executed the plan through manipulation of the first magnitude. It was only the woman’s inherent character that fought Callisto off at the last moment."

Artemis let this information fully seat before continuing. In spite of his seeming shallowness, Zeus did have some moral guides he followed.

It was usually his daughter that reminded him from time to time. "We... the Olympian gods need to set this right again. Ares and Callisto must not be allowed to alter the physical universe with their pettiness."

Zeus pondered Artemis’s words. "All right, I concede the meddling influence of my son. I’ll have a word with him but I don’t see it changing anything for the mortal." He understood what Artemis wanted, and could easily grant her desire. "No, Artemis, I cannot do what you ask. Think of the repercussions. To do so would set a dangerous precedent. I’d be reviving mortals left and right."

The goddess’s patience was wearing thin. "I’m not asking for a blanket reanimation. This case is special... unique." She had one last point to drive home. "Well, perhaps the fact that Callisto is about to defile Elyssia to complete her twisted agenda will convince you to reconsider."

"What do you mean?" Even Zeus was protective of the ethereal resting-place of heroes.

"I mean, Callisto is planning to remove this mortal’s partner to further torment the living. You talk about setting a dangerous precedent... I’d say this would qualify."

"She can’t do that!" Zeus was indignant.

"Really? And who is going to stop her? You? Hades?" She paused, "Zeus, allow me to do this, not only for Liz and her partner, but also for all the gods. There’s simply been enough suffering."

Zeus weighed the consequences. The fact Ares had even considered joining forces with that aberration, masquerading as a goddess, really wasn’t sitting well. Artemis was correct. Callisto had to be dealt with.

"Very well, Artemis. You may have your request. Make sure it counts. I won’t allow this again." He paused to add. "Oh, and I don’t want to know exactly how you do it. The less I know, the better off I am. "

"Thank you." Her words were sincere. "Now, if you’ll excuse me. I have an appointment in Elyssia to keep."

Her arrival and stay in Elyssia had been difficult. It was a hard process to let go of her beloved Liz. Artemis had provided a peek into their future lives, but still, she had been so abruptly torn from life, full acceptance was slow in coming. Sam sat on a large stone at the edge of a silver pool. She had been distressed this day... the voice of Liz had suddenly gone quiet. Sam didn’t know what to make of the event. She even looked expectantly at the new arrivals, wondering if Liz would be among them. Could it be she had simply stopped thinking about her? Sam couldn’t even consider this possibility... it was too painful.

"Aw... she stopped talking to ya’, didn’t she?" The voice couldn’t help stating the obvious.

Sam turned her head toward the sound. "Who are you? Do you know Liz?"

"Let’s just say she and I were business partners... but we kinda broke it off, sharply." Callisto could barely suppress chuckling at her own private little joke.

"Were? Has something happened to her?" Sam’s pulse quickened. This blonde woman made her nervous, and she couldn’t see Liz associating with her for any reason. "What do you want?"

"My, aren’t you just a little question machine. And what do I want? Why, nothing dearie. In fact, I’m here to give you something."

Sam eyed her suspiciously. "What could you possibly have to give me that I don’t already have here?"

"Hmm...good question." Callisto was drawing the game out. "Well, how about your mortal life back again? Think that’s worth the price of admission?"

The thought of living again and having Liz was almost too much to hope for. "Are you a goddess?"

"Why, yes. Now you haven’t answered my question. Do you or don’t you... I don’t have all eternity to wait for your decision."

"What do I have to do?" Sam’s longing for her lover was so strong.

Callisto smiled. She knew she had her now. Just one more thing and she would have her plan fulfilled. "All you have to do is want it and follow me out of Elyssia." The goddess knew she couldn’t force Sam. She would have to leave of her own accord.

"Yes, I want it." Sam was halfway to the worst decision in either life. She started walking toward the grinning woman and the boundary of Elyssia.

Callisto was babbling to distract Sam as they neared the portal. "Now, I have to tell you, a few things have changed since you last saw that lover of yours. She’s taken a liking to body piercings." A nervous snicker slipped from her lips. They were almost there... just a few more steps.

"That’s far enough, Callisto." The authority in the voice stopped Calli and Sam in their tracks.

The goddess sneered. "Artemis... how nice to see you. My friend and I were just leaving."

Unfazed, Artemis shot back, "Oh... you’re leaving all right." Before Callisto could retort, Artemis sent an energy wave knocking the woman literally into the next realm. She knew it was a temporary solution but it would work for now.

"Come back when you have some real power. Gods... I hate dealing with amateurs." Artemis was ready to help Sam now. She held out her hand to the lithe woman.

"Come, Sam... it’s time for you to go home, too."

Sam reached for the softness of the goddess’s hand. She felt completely safe and although she didn’t know where they were going, she trusted the goddess of the moon.

The woman’s voice floated into the adjoining room. "If you’re not out here in five minutes, I’m leaving without you." There was a slight pause. The tone of her voice took on the most stern quality she could muster. "I mean it! We’re late already."

The dark-haired woman in the other room was on all fours peering under the four poster bed. She spoke to her companion from the floor level. "Alright already. I’m looking for my other shoe." The golden furred kitten wasn’t making this task any easier. She kept swatting the woman’s hand with every sweep under the bed.

"Brie! Stop it! I don’t have time for this." She cast a glance past the little animal toward the outer room. "Momma is upset enough." In frustration, she sat back on the floor, wearing one shoe, sighing heavily. "Gods.. where is my freaking shoe?"

Her musing was interrupted by the timekeeper’s call. "Two minutes!"

"Christ! The two minute warning. I’ll never make it without timeouts." She looked at the kitten for help. "Brie.. go fetch my other shoe!" The youngster stared at the human... arched her back lazily and sashayed out of the room.

"Hey, it was just a suggestion." Liz mumbled. "Next time I’m getting a dog."

"Well make sure the doghouse is big enough for both of you." The sound of the woman’s silken voice drew Liz’s attention from the great shoe search. She peered under the bed to see a pair of feet in the doorway.

"Time’s up, missy. I don’t care if you wear one sneaker and one boot, get your form out here right now! Besides, you’re the one who’s anal about being late."

Liz watched the feet turn smartly and walk into the outer room. "All right... I’m coming!" She reached up to use the bed as a support, pulling her frame off the floor. She would have to opt for another pair of shoes... and quickly... there was the familiar jingle of keys wafting through the condo. Liz practically stepped out of the one shoe she was wearing on her way to the closet. She grabbed the first pair she came to. She was standing in the doorway of the closet slipping her feet into the loafers when a curious thing happened. It was just a fleeting wave that washed over her. The closest thing she could relate to was a feeling of deja’ vu.

At that moment, she looked at the bedside stand. There was a framed picture of her lover and she. The two women were standing on a dock overlooking a beautiful, blue ocean. It had been a spectacular day and both had champagne glasses raised in a joyous fashion. Liz walked to the bed, sat on the edge and took the photo in her hands. It was as if she were seeing Sam for the very first time. Something pulled at her very soul and a unrestrained tear worked its way down her tanned cheek.

She replaced the frame carefully, and reached to open one of the drawers in the stand. In the very back recesses of the drawer, she pulled a small, white box from its hiding place. Quietly, she removed the top and stared at the two objects resting on a soft, white square of cotton. She was looking at two rings of a unique design. Both bands had finely crafted etching. Just as Xena’s chakram sported two different designs on its surface, the rings mirrored those patterns... two parts of the whole. Liz had them custom made after that fateful trip to Key West. She had known, even then, Sam would be a profound part of her life. They were fated to be together... very much like Xena and Gabrielle. She had wanted to wait until the right time to ask Sam for a life commitment. She had even discussed the possibility with Randi. Funny, but now seemed like the right time.

"I am leaving without you."

Sam’s voice brought Liz out of her waking daydream. She placed the rings in her pocket and moved from the bedroom toward the spacious living area. Sam had her coat across her arm and was nearly out the door. Brie and RG were perched on the back of the leather sofa, tails swishing, eyes fixed on the humans, whom they considered such silly creatures.

Liz blurted her words out. "Sam... wait... please."

Her beautiful partner raised a very practiced brow and paused at the door. In a quiet tone, she let Liz know she wasn’t amused.

"If we wait any longer, the first part of tonight’s symphony program will be over. I’m sure Randi and Roger already wonder where we are. Now...are we going or not? As it is, we will have to park on the street blocks away from the Arts Center."

Liz walked toward her lover, her smile producing familiar crinkles at the corners of her blue eyes. Sam had seen that look many times before. It usually meant missing dinner or anything else planned for that evening. She wasn’t going to give in easily.

"Oh, no you don’t. We have tickets... we’re going. Your best friends are probably pacing even as we speak. We don’t have time for whatever is on that little one track mind of yours."

Liz ignored Sam’s very well put argument. She was face to face with her lover now... looking slightly up into her jade green eyes. She deftly retrieved the house keys from Sam’s fingers, tossing them on the breakfast bar. The noise and movement of the keys sliding along the marble surface gave Brie incentive to hop off the sofa and onto one of the bar stools. She comtemplated attacking the metallic prey... thought better of it and raced into the bedroom. RG was saving her energy. She preferred the entertainment before her. Sam reached behind Liz’s back in an attempt to snag her keys.

"Liz... honey, please... later, okay?" Sam’s plea was falling on deaf ears. Liz already was removing Sam’s coat from her arm. She tossed it on the counter as well. Without speaking, she took Sam’s hand and led her to the sofa. With her free hand, she gently caressed Sam’s face and spoke.

"Sam... there’s something I want to ask you. I don’t know why, but I feel I have to do this right now." She felt for the gold bands in her pocket. As she pulled them into the open, she made a very prophetic statement. "Besides, I don’t think missing one symphony performance will kill either of us... do you?"

The lights in the atrium began blinking on and off, indicating the performance was about to start. Roger had made another pass out front hoping to see Liz and Sam. He was almost fuming when he came up to Randi.

"God... she’s driving me crazy! Woman never used to be late for anything, but now... Jesus H Christ...she’s never on time! I could just kill her for this."

Randi finished the last sip of her wine, tossed the plastic cup and took Roger by the arm. "Roger... don’t even say that in jest. I’m sure they have a very good reason for missing this..."

Roger opened his mouth to go on again about the godliness of punctuality.

Randi stopped the continuing tirade. "Don’t... just drop it. Let’s enjoy the concert and we’ll call them at intermission. Besides, I think I have an idea why they aren’t here." She leaned close to him and whispered in his ear.

Roger’s eyes went wide and a look of mock hurt crossed his face. "What!? They’re doing what!?" He rolled his eyes as he escorted Randi up the balcony stairs. "Why is it the queen is the last to know?"

Randi had a mischievous smile on her face. "Oh, I don’t know. I think it’s a lesbian thing. Lord knows we can’t decorate... it’s a form of compensation... deal with it."

Artemis was invisible to Liz and Sam. Things had finally been put right. It had been a long, arduous journey spanning dimensions and time. It wasn’t the best solution, but a solution none the less. Her enjoyment of the moment was cut short by a familiar presence.

"I don’t think Daddy is going to be pleased with you doing this." The voice took form next to Artemis.

Unfazed, Artemis responded. "Oh, and since when do you care what Zeus thinks? Besides, this will keep him from proposing any more absurd bets with you... at least where this mortal is concerned. I’d say you owe me, Aphrodite."

The goddess of love shrugged her luscious shoulders and moved toward the women on the sofa. Brie and RG followed her movement with great curiosity, moving to the front of the leather sofa for a better view.

"Well, they do look happy, and I have to say they make a handsome couple... but..." Aphrodite thought for a moment. "I think I could tweak their romance with a little spell..." She raised her hand to dispense some of her special magic. Artemis aborted her action by grabbing her wrist.

"Oh, no... they don’t need any help. Especially your kind of help." Artemis gazed at Liz and Sam. They were engaged in a very deep, passionate kiss. "I think they can do this all on their own. No more meddling... I mean it."

Aphrodite sighed, "Gods, Sis, you’re just no fun."

Artemis cast a hard look at her bothersome sibling.

"All right... whatever. Well, in that case, I’m outta here... later..."

Aphrodite’s form sparkled for a moment and then vanished. Brie swatted at the dissipating shower. It didn’t seem to matter whether she could actually catch any of it or not. Artemis smiled at the feline. She rather liked this animal’s energy and would miss the little creature. The goddess invoked a timely blessing on the two mortals before leaving.

"May your love always find one another."

And so it is and so it shall be.

THE END