Synopsis:

A visit from across the pond, and the pre-'boot camp' time comes to an end.

Next stop: Parris Island

Story:

Amazon - Part 10d: Home Stretch
By Itinerant
Edited by Amelia R

Biographer's Note: This is Nicole's story. It covers those events and people she finds notable in her life and chooses to share. If you have problems with it, take it up with her. I'm just a glorified stenographer.

**********
Sunday, March 11, 2001
Williamsburg, VA
1:50PM EST

~I can't believe I almost *forgot*!~

Nicole had been muttering imprecations at herself during her drive from Fairfax to Richmond. It hadn't been that many days since she'd spoken with Marilyn, but with the busyness of the week, the trip to the enlistment station, and the phone call from Judith, she'd hardly gotten home from church when it occurred to her that she had to get to Williamsburg by two o'clock.

She had finally made the turn into the visitor's center at just fifteen minutes before two o'clock, and felt the tension in her shoulders and arms ease. There wasn't a lot of spare time, but she was fast on her feet and could easily make her rendezvous.

The redhead scanned the area, looking for the family she expected to meet, when a wave from the other side of the gate showed that they'd already gotten in. With a grin, she slid up to the ticket booth and soon joined them. As she walked up, she took a good look at the Davidson family.

The youngest of the three, Tara, was a small, almost skinny child with her head covered by a green watch cap. She was young -- only eight years-old -- with leaf-green eyes that sparkled when she grinned, as she was doing now. There was, nevertheless, an air of weariness around the little girl, as the long series of treatments for leukemia had sapped her youthful energy.

Tara's spirits were lifted as she saw the redhead walk up. The woman's air of calm was comforting; the feeling was similar, but not quite the same as that of her parents. She was like an aunt, or something, with her air of maturity and concern.

Tara's father stood behind her, and loomed over his family. He was about Nicole's height, but was far more massive. The broad shoulders were matched by the rest of his physique; he looked very much like a fullback -- a bowling-ball on legs. He might have looked like a big, slow-witted block, but his eyes were examining Nicole and gleamed with intelligence. He was as formidable looking in the daylight as he had been at the concert. Nicole sensed that his emotions were colored by frustration, as he could do so little to help his sick daughter.

He watched as the tall, elegant figure hurried up. He'd only seen her sitting at the concert, and now was impressed by the feminine, yet utterly confident woman who walked up. His lips twitched as the thought ran through his mind that she could be a relative if you went by hair color. Her eyes, on the other hand, were quite different -- a soft gray, as opposed to the green of his Irish-descended family. The woman's smile was warm, and he could see the concern she felt as she looked at his daughter.

~I wonder what her background is?~

Marilyn stepped out to greet the new arrival.

"Hello, Ms Harrison! I can't tell you how grateful my husband, Robert, and I are for what you're doing."

"Call me Nicole, please." She smiled and continued, "I really can't see any reason not to take advantage of a haircut I'm required to have. Tara's natural hair color is like mine, and we redheads have to stick together!"

The little girl giggled in concert with the chuckles from her fire-haired parents.

"So, do you three know where we need to be, and how to get there?" Nicole inquired.

A few moments of consultation settled the route, and the four set off at a moderate pace for the wigmaker's shop. The quaint restorations kept the adults entertained as Tara doggedly endured the interminable walk through the streets.

"Yipe!"

Nicole had heard the rapid-fire footsteps as someone came running by, and just managed to dodge as she yelped in surprise. She just avoided a collision with a young boy, perhaps Tara's age, whose mother hollered after him. His hair was blonde, but showed the first signs of darkening toward the roots; it was not yet clear what the final color would be.

"Gary! Gary Yadkin! You slow down and watch where you're going! You'll hurt yourself, or someone else, if you don't pay attention to people around you."

"But Mom! The Courthouse is over this way, and I want to see it all before we leave."

Gary's mother apologized as she and her husband hurried to catch up with their wayward child.

*****

The small, gambrel-roofed shop was just across from the Raleigh Tavern; a flag hung from a staff mounted on the façade and snapped in the gusty breeze. Nicole led the way into the shop, holding the door while the family made their entrance. A small bell tinkled as the door opened and the group entered.

A tall black man, of average build, stood with a pair of women near work tables toward the rear of the room. He turned to greet them as they closed the door.

"Good day, gentlefolk. I am Reginald Blizzard, and the proprietor of this shop; how may I help you?"

Nicole grinned as she curtsied to the man, who was dressed in period clothing, and played along with the game. "Good sir, my name is Nicole Harrison. We spoke earlier in the week about having a wig made."

The man's eyes widened, and he looked at the child. "Yes, I recall your name, now. This is the young lady you mentioned?" He looked the adults over more carefully. "You two must be her parents."

The introductions were made, and Reginald gave a tour of his shop to the group. He led them toward the tables, where there were wigs in various states of completion. He pointed out each step, ensuring that it was thoroughly understood that it was a significant effort and expense to make a high-quality wig.

He took time to examine Nicole's hair, and assessed the length of the raw material she proposed to provide.

"It's unusual for someone with this length of hair, and who takes such obvious care of it, to cut it as short as you say you intend. I must admit that your hair, even as soft and fine as it appears to be, is also remarkably strong. I don't expect any problems in making the wig you want. It will take time, though, and it won't be inexpensive. It will be particularly difficult to make it useful for as long as the young lady will require. On the other hand, when I am done, it will be around and useful for many, many years if it is properly cared for."

Nicole shrugged. "I had intended to pay the expenses myself, but my co-workers overheard me talking to a friend. They're insisting that I accept their donations."

The wigmaker allowed that how she covered the cost was her business; he had Tara sit down, remove her cap, and took his initial measurements. He narrated as he worked, describing each measurement and why it was necessary. He also mentioned that he intended to make a wig head precisely the size of Tara's head to ensure a proper fit.

"Overall, it will take two and a half or three months to make the wig, which would be mid-June at the latest."

It was generally agreed that the length of time was to be expected, and Nicole made a down payment that covered the materials and half the hours required for the task. Her bank balance was heavily depleted, but there weren't any major expenses expected for the next two weeks.

She didn't fully understand the urge, but it seemed important to help this child; she knew better than to ignore the hint.

The sun was well to the west when the quartet finally returned to the street, but there was plenty of time to indulge Tara in a slow-paced tour of the immediate area. They stopped outside the front door, and the girl took a chance to talk to Nicole.

"Ms. Harrison? Would you mind if my dad took our picture together?"

Nicole gladly agreed to the idea, and Robert grinned watching the two hamming it up -- egged on by Marilyn -- as he took his pictures. He saved some film for the rest of the tour, and snapped a few more photos as they walked. The poor child wore out quickly, and she wound up cradled in her father's arms as the group walked toward the exit. The adults grinned at each other as the girl snuggled into the security of his embrace and dozed off.

"You really don't need to pay for this all yourself, Nicole. We can help some." Marilyn spoke firmly, but quietly, so as not to wake the sleeping girl.

"I agree," Bob chimed in. "We may be pressed because of the treatment costs, but we can still chip in."

They might have been arguing with the wind. "This is my gift to her, and to you. Let me indulge while I may. Please?"

Finally, and reluctantly, the elder Davidsons relented and began their trip home with their sleeping daughter.

The sun was well down by the time Nicole arrived at home, but she was well pleased with the accomplishments of the day.

*****
Monday, March 12, 2001
WGSS Offices
1:10PM EST

The door closer hissed, and the familiar sound of sandals thumped on the raised floor.

"Okay, Nicole, where were you? Trish and I thought you'd come over so we could start planning for Judith's visit, but you just vanished."

It took a little while to recount the events of the previous afternoon, given that there was work to be done. Amelia listened attentively until her friend was done.

"How could you forget? I thought you had an eidetic memory."

The redhead's right eyebrow arched. "I can remember everything, but only if I think about it. I have a memory, not an alarm clock. Now that you remind me, we do need to talk about how we're going to handle this induction."

Amelia suggested that they gather after supper at her apartment, and teased Nicole about needing a string on her finger to help her remember. The two women turned their attention back to the task at hand, pored over the test results from the weekend, and began to outline the detailed report that was due Friday. The report format was left entirely to Amelia; Nicole waved her script-wizard's wand as she parsed data from the test results and reformatted everything into the proper table format for inclusion.

She pointedly ignored the quiet mutters about someone needing a keeper.

*****

~What time ... Oh!~

Nicole suddenly sat back after checking her watch. "Mela, I have an appointment at the doctor's. I have to leave, or I'll be late."

The gleam in the strawberry-blonde's eyes should have been a warning, but Nicole missed it in her scramble to get back to her desk and out the door; even her empathic link gave no warning as the queen hurried away.

Amelia chuckled as the door closed again, and she turned back to her work.

~I wonder how she'll like the refrigerators in the examination rooms?~

*****
Doctor JoEllen Clarke's Office

The redhead sighed as she returned the clipboard to the receptionist. After Saturday, the prospect of filling out still more paperwork was even less appealing.

~I wonder who came up with the idea of all the record-keeping? And I wonder if I can ever get my revenge?~

The examination records from Saturday might save some time and effort for the doctor; at least she hoped it would limit the poking and prodding. Nicole wasn't overly optimistic, as doctors liked to check things out personally in her experience.

Precisely at the scheduled appointment time, a young woman opened the door to the reception area; there was the usual round of measurements -- weight, height, blood pressure, blood test sample, and the like -- before the nurse left and Nicole found herself sitting in an examining room, wearing a fashionable paper gown. The room was unremarkable, and looked like any of the dozens of similar rooms she'd seen as Tom, except for an appliance that looked oddly like a dorm-sized refrigerator.

~I wonder what that's for?~

A muted clatter outside heralded the extraction of the folder with her paperwork; the sound of flipping pages went on for a moment before the door opened to reveal the doctor.

She was average in height -- meaning she was about half a head shorter than Nicole -- and slim. The woman's energy almost crackled around her despite her apparent age, which seemed to be about forty or so. She had short, brown hair that framed intense hazel eyes.

~Oh, Lord! They look like Beth's eyes!~

The curse of perfect memory made itself known, as so many memories of looking into well-loved eyes flowed to the forefront of her mind. Her face hardened for a moment as she fought down the emotions; she forced herself to return her attention to Doctor JoEllen Clarke, who had looked down again to read.

"So, Nicole, this is your first visit to this office. I like to take time on a first visit to learn a little about a new patient, so why don't you tell me a little about yourself: who are you, where are you from, boyfriends -- all the good blackmail material I'll need later."

The good humor in the question provoked a chuckle from the redhead, and she began a synopsis of her new history.

JoEllen listened attentively and took occasional notes. She found this time useful, as the introduction served to gain more than just raw information. Each individual told their story in their own way, and areas avoided in the telling sometimes served to point out stress points in a person's life, which was useful in understanding how to better care for each unique individual.

~This patient is going to be interesting,~ she thought.

Nicole's story wasn't really unusual, but there was a sense of ... detachment about so much of it; there wasn't much emotion in it, other than a few events such as the passing of her parents. There seemed to be much more intensity in the descriptions of her last few months, which was interesting, and there was a clear, strong attachment to her new friends.

"Thank you, Nicole," JoEllen began, "that might be helpful in the long term. A family medical history is always important. I'm curious as to why you're taking time to come to me; you said you're enlisting, and you'll have the military's doctors to call on."

Nicole shrugged. "I won't be in the Marines forever, and I'd like someone I can trust when I'm at home." ~Such a home as it is, anyway.~ "I also have another ... ummm ... item that I need. I think." She squirmed uncomfortably as she tried to approach her topic.

~She's acting like some teenagers when they first ask for the pill!~ The doctor struggled to keep a professional air, but having a grown woman in her mid-twenties acting this way made it hard. She sat quietly while her patient sorted herself out.

Finally, Nicole took hold of her embarrassment, took a deep breath to calm herself, and formed a simple question. The amusement from the doctor wasn't helping.

"I need a prescription for a contraceptive, preferably the pill. I'm not sexually active, but I think I need to take the precaution."

JoEllen couldn't entirely suppress the chuckle, but covered it with a quick cough. "That's no problem, though you're older than most of my first-time prescriptions. I checked the records you brought, but I'll conduct my own examination before prescribing anything. So why don't we get started?" She stepped to the door and called in a nurse

The second time around wasn't quite so bad, Nicole decided. At least she knew more about what to expect, and how all of it *felt*. It still wasn't pleasant, though, especially when it came time for the intimate part of the examinations.

The doctor stepped back, and raised the stirrups at the end of the table. "Now lie back, and put your feet up. Wendy, would you get my instruments from the 'fridge, please?"

Nicole's eyes widened at the statement, its implications, and the look of amusement on the face of the doctor and nurse. She couldn't entirely quell a whimper as the door of the white appliance opened, and she tensed at the rattle of metal on metal. It had been a nasty surprise the first time around, even with the items at room temperature.

Her eyes snapped wide as the comfortably warm speculum made contact.

She raised her head and glared at the top of the doctor's head as it bobbed with barely-controlled mirth. "That was *mean*!" The redhead shared some of her wrath with the silently smirking nurse.

The nurse's smirk turned into a quiet giggle, joined shortly by snorts from the doctor at the end of the table. Nicole struggled to hold onto her annoyance, but the humor in the situation won out and she joined the others in laughter ... until the speculum probed a little deeper, and she gasped.

There was the usual poking, and a momentary discomfort as the doctor took samples for her tests. Finally, the metal intruder was withdrawn, and JoEllen sat back. The instruments were taken for sterilization or disposal, and Nicole was permitted to dress. The doctor waited patiently for her to finish.

"Everything looks fine, Nicole. Your health is a perfect as I've seen, and unless something really strange shows up in the blood work, or other tests, you can relax." She wrote quickly on a prescription pad, and handed it to her patient. "The only thing that really was out of the ordinary was that you seem to be a virgin; I don't think I've ever seen that in a woman your age. Normally, I'd schedule you for an appointment every year, but under the circumstances I'll let you call when you need to see me."

Nicole recovered quickly from the exam -- it was still all new to her -- and settled back. "Thank you for the report, doctor. As far as my sexual habits," her face tinged with a slight blush, "I won't casually jump into bed with just anyone, and I haven't found the right person yet."

JoEllen nodded in understanding, and guided the redhead out to the receptionist before heading off to the next appointment.

*****
Amelia and Trish's Apartment
7:00PM EST

The two-legged occupants of the room looked up at the rap on the door; the royal couple twitched their tails and ignored the proceedings until something worthwhile happened.

Trish opened the door, and welcomed the tall Amazon queen into the room. Nicole gratefully relinquished her coat and navigated to a chair across from the sofa where her friend and coworker sat. Trish followed as far as the sofa, but hadn't sat down before the redhead spoke.

"You set me up!"

Nicole tried hard to keep her voice serious, but the memory of the events at the doctor's office, and the echo of humor through their shared bond, left her with lips twitching.

"I have no idea what you mean by that!" The blonde's eyebrows arched imperiously, and the action was echoed in small by the two felines behind her -- admittedly more due to being disturbed than any real interest in what the humans were making noises about.

Trish looked bewildered at the antics, but turned her attention to her love. Knowing the humorous streak of her partner, Amelia, it was likely she'd pulled a prank on their new friend. Hands on hips, she stood by the sofa. She, too, felt the humor running through the two women and had to fight down her own smile.

"What did you do, Mela?"

"Me? Whatever makes either of you think I did anything?"

Tandem eyebrows rose in mute disbelief. Amelia sat unmoved by their skepticism.

Nicole smirked as she spoke. "To be completely honest, Trish, it wasn't what she did so much as what she didn't do. I had my first appointment with Doctor Clarke this afternoon."

The young, brown-haired woman's eyes widened. She, too, was a patient at that office. The surprise turned to a smile, then a grin. She ended on the sofa, laughing helplessly.

Amelia joined in the laughter, and watched as the redhead bit her lip in a desperate attempt to keep from laughing herself; the gray-eyed glare wavered, too. It failed miserably, and the infectious mirth kept them laughing, or giggling for quite a while.

"It was still mean!" Nicole fumed, but without heat. "She's a good doctor, though. I appreciate the referral. I didn't come here just to fuss ...."

"Whine!" Amelia retorted.

"Fuss!" Nicole returned, "at you. I want to figure out what we can do for, and with, the Epps family. If it was just Judith, I wouldn't be bothered, but we'll have David and Miriam, too." She paused, uncertain of the path to take. "They're a family, and I'd really like to have all of them involved somehow; I don't know that having eight people, counting Artemis, in your place will work.

"I'd also like to keep our supper kosher, if possible, and I know enough to realize that's more complicated than any normal meal. Any ideas?"

Trish looked thoughtful for a moment before looking at Amelia with surprise.

"Mela, I have that festival in Vienna this weekend, Friday evening, and all day Saturday and Sunday. I want to be there, but we'll have to do it at the festival then."

Amelia nodded. "That might not be such a bad idea anyway. If we keep meeting here, someone might notice. I've fixed meals for festivals before, so I can work something out. We'll have to be inside, though; the weather is supposed to be pretty windy and rainy. I'll ask a couple of friends of mine who are Jewish about what I need to do, and they might have ideas on how to deal with a kosher meal in the field."

"Can you two handle the arrangements for the food and festival? I'm assuming you know the people running the show," Nicole asked. "I'll see whether Kate can make it. I also want to take time while everyone's here to have a planning meeting. I'll be out of touch with you for long periods of time, and I want to make sure we have a plan of action in place before I go away."

"We can do that. The festival could work out well; there should be rooms for the artists to rest and practice, so we can probably set up in one of those. There will be a few things we can have for Miriam, if we bring them along."

The outline of the options was at least identified now, and all three women settled back to relax a little. Nicole stretched her limbs in relief; it had been busy since she'd gotten back from California, and she was beginning to feel the wear.

One of the cats -- Nicole couldn't reliably tell them apart, yet -- stood, arched its back, and slithered its way to Nicole's lap. The quiet purr was mesmerizing, and the queen found the fatigue of the last couple of weeks catching up with her. Trish watched her for a few moments then frowned.

"Nicole? What have you done for fun and relaxation the last three months? You're looking awfully frazzled."

Blinking as she stirred back into full alertness, Nicole thought for a few moments as she reviewed the time since January. "Ummmm. Since I got back here, I sat and read one afternoon; I also went to that coffeehouse with you two. Before that I went out on a date one evening, and the evening dances were more fun than work."

Trish's frown was joined by a near-twin on Amelia's face. The blonde shook her head in exasperation.

"Are you determined to burn yourself out before you even hit boot camp?"

The redhead shrugged. "What am I supposed to do? I have to get ready for boot camp, which means the evening sessions with the Colonel have to happen. I was the only one who could have made the trip to Williamsburg to set up the wig making, and I have to coordinate at least part of the gathering for Judith." She returned the frowns. "I haven't been exactly burning the candle at both ends, even if I haven't been out much. The exercise I get with the Colonel helps, and other evenings I tend to just hang around home and recover."

Amelia was hardly reassured. "You should find something fun to do once in a while, so you get out of the apartment. You like to dance, and I think there's a contra-dance group in Reston that meets this evening, so you could go there and not have schedule conflicts." She paused for a moment. "I still think you could do a better job of delegating; in fact, from here on out, you'll have to."

"I noticed that it took you a bit to think of something that would work with what I *have* to get done during a week; even so, I suspect we'll be spending time with the Epps next week, and the next Monday I'm off to the Marines, so I won't have time for the dance group. In any case, I agree that delegation has to happen, and that's another thing to take care of while the Epps are here. We'll have to organize secure communications for all of us, and arrange for some kind of self-defense training for everyone. I also want Kate to get help from David to learn how to manage the financial side -- such as it is. And thinking of Kate ...."

Nicole pulled out her cell phone, and called her friend to find out whether she could fly east for a while. Things got complicated as Amelia and Trish jumped into the conversation -- they found rather quickly that they hardly needed a speakerphone with their enhanced hearing -- and the four had roughed out the arrangements for the next two weeks, depending on how much time Kate would have available.

*****
Wednesday, March 14, 2001

~Windy, rainy, and cool. Bleah!~

It was a short sprint from her apartment to the car, and only a slightly longer run from the car to the office, but Nicole was looking a little like a drowned rat by the time she made it into the lobby. Angela followed more slowly, due to the struggle to keep her umbrella under control, but was a bit drier when she made it into the lobby.

The work for Angela's team was done, for all practical purposes. All of the data had been logged, stored, and cross-referenced in record time with the new scripts. The next step was in the field team's hands, as they worked on the report; Nicole spent much of the time carefully documenting the new tools and generating help files; there was the occasional interruption as one of the team would ask for clarification, or delegate a data extraction task, but none took more than a few minutes.

She stretched and yawned as she sat back from the keyboard. Despite keeping an eye open for new opportunities, the work was mind-numbingly boring. ~I have to remember that they think I'm a newbie. It's probably too late to start bugging them for something more interesting to do anyway; there's less than two weeks left.~

She sighed, and leaned back toward her keyboard. Even the afternoon would be consumed putting the finishing touches on the draft report for Amelia. She grimaced.

~I hate writing documentation. So what do I do for most of my day ...?~

*****
Nicole's Apartment
7:45PM EST

Stretching and yawning, Nicole blinked at her dark-haired roommate. "I think I'm going to sit and read for a little while, and then turn in early. David is wearing me down with his workouts."

Angela smiled in sympathy. "He gets that way; you'll be glad for it when you're in boot camp. Go ahead and get some rest. I'll see you in the morning. Good night."

The door to her bedroom was closed, and the redhead had moved to ensure the room was secure. She played back the debate she'd had with herself since Judith had called, and in particular since Trish had suggested the festival as a rendezvous. It didn't feel right to tell David to take a long walk with Miriam; the little one had been important in winning the family over.

Finally she called quietly: "Lady Artemis?" She truly was weary, but this issue had to be dealt with.

The slim, black-haired figure appeared with a puzzled look. "Yes, Nicole?"

"I need to talk with you, but prefer that we don't do it here. I'm concerned that Angela might hear something. Will you take us to Michael's cabin, so we can speak freely?"

With a nod, Artemis reached out, and the two were in the familiar great room. The goddess, head tilted in question, asked: "What's on your mind?"

"We need to talk about the Epps family."

"Why?"

"I told you about her calling to accept the call, but I've had time to think about it since then. Judith is the first woman called who's been married to a man. Between that, and the arrangements we can make for an induction, things are more complicated this time having to deal with the folk festival."

"So? I don't see what the problem might be."

"I'll get to my point, but I want you to understand why I think as I do. Why do you oppose having men involved with the Amazons?"

The goddess returned a look of exasperation. "As if you need reminding! Has your perfect memory failed?"

"Humor me, please. I have a point to this all."

The black-haired patroness threw up her hands as she dropped into a chair. "Twice -- once before, and once after you accepted the call -- I explained that the Hittites and other men had betrayed my daughters. They surrounded them, and slowly wore them down until they were destroyed."

"And why did that work? Why were the Amazons vulnerable to that strategy? They could have fed themselves and their horses, right?"

"Of course they could feed themselves! It was just they were cut off from ... Oh no! You're not going to talk me into that corner." The dark brown eyes sparked with anger.

"Why are you angry with me?" The redhead's eyes, mild at first, turned as hard and unyielding as a granite cliff. "You're acting as if I'm your enemy! Do you really think I love my sisters less than you do? They are *all* I have now; they're the only family I *will* have for I don't know how long. I will do whatever I must, and use whatever resources I can, to make sure they each live as long and happy a life as possible, and for that to happen we need to be able to grow without having recruits from the outside world." She huffed in frustration.

"I'm trying to use everything I can, every possible advantage I can think of, to build up the Amazons; I'm just as determined as I was the first day after I accepted the call. I told you that the very first time I sat in this room. We'll need men like David Epps if we're going to grow and thrive."

Artemis sensed Nicole's struggle to reign in her frustration before the queen spoke again.

"What was your first impression of Tom Edwards?"

The abrupt change of tack bewildered the goddess. "Pardon? What does that have to do with anything?"

"I need you to work with me for a few more minutes. What was the first thing that came to mind when you saw him?"

"I don't know ... Mister Average, if anything."

"Mister Average," Nicole snorted in amusement. "I suppose that's as fitting a term for him as any. He and Beth were married for over thirty years; in all that time, how many times do you think he strayed? How many times did he betray his vows to her?"

"This has to be a trick question, and I assume the answer is never."

With a nod Nicole continued. "Precisely. In thirty years, with more than ample opportunity given all the traveling he did, Mister Average never violated his vows. God has called Judith to be one of the first women to join the Amazons, and she, too, is someone who is married. Do you think that David will be any less reliable than Tom was?" The implacable gray eyes held Artemis' gaze, until the goddess shook her head and dropped her stare.

"No, I don't. What's your point?"

Nicole's eyes softened. "I know that we will, at some point, find women who will need to be rescued from men who *have* betrayed them. They'll be abused, neglected, and in need of our protection. Not all the men will be like that, though; there will be others, and I believe David is one of them, who are part of a marriage that shows the best of what that partnership was intended to be. David and Judith are a team, just as Amelia and Trish are a team; I don't want David inducted and empowered -- that's not his role -- but we'll need him, his talents, and his abilities. I want to have David there when Judith is inducted -- and Miriam, too -- so he knows what they're both becoming a part of. I don't ever want our Nation of Amazons to be splitting up loving couples." A bleak look came to her face. "One was more than enough."

"Nicole ...."

The glitter of tears was plain in the redhead's eyes. "Please, Artemis, don't let us become a lever that comes between couples and breaks up loving families. They're everything a family should be, and they both love their daughter deeply. What will we be telling Miriam if we send them away? Check with Michael if you need to make sure, but don't hurt them like that; I beg you, *please*, don't make them suffer, too."

Artemis was struggling, too. The goddess's ancient hurt and hatred warred with the anguish she saw on her companion's face, and the truth she knew lay in the young woman's words.

"I'll think about it, and I will talk to Michael." She looked unhappy, but resigned. "If he says David is trustworthy, then I will agree."

*****
Thursday, March 15, 2001
Epps Home
8:00AM GMT (3:00AM EST)

Willy hefted the last of the bags into the boot and turned to see the little girl who stood nearby. Her face was serious as she held up her stuffed rabbit for packing. She thanked him as he took it, then she turned to join her parents. He smiled as he stowed the toy carefully for the trip.

Miriam was barely containing her excitement as she looked forward to her first trip across the Atlantic. Judith had taken time to sit with a globe, and maps, to show where they were and where they were going. They took time to plan some sightseeing trips around the region; the child was disappointed to learn that Ms. Harrison would not be guiding the tour.

"I'm ready, Mummy! May I sit in the front with Willy, please?" She wasn't often taken on a long trip, but she delighted in sitting where she could easily see the countryside as they passed.

"As long as you sit nicely and don't bother Willy, you may."

Miriam walked around to the passenger side door, and sat proudly -- and almost quietly -- in the front seat. David and Judith smiled, and climbed in for the two hour ride to Heathrow.

*****
Dulles - International Arrivals Building
3:35PM EST

David Epps had walked off to retrieve their luggage, leaving Judith to tend to their daughter as they waited to go through customs.

"Mummy, I'm tired. Can I go to sleep now?"

Miriam had been an absolute jewel for such a young child during the entire eight-hours of the trip, but the long day was wearing on her. She was tired and hungry and wanted to stop traveling.

"Not yet, Miri. We have to get to our hotel, and then you may take a nap before supper. It's only a short ride to the hotel, so it won't be too long once your daddy returns."

"Will Miss Harrison be there?"

"No, sweet; she will be at work for a while, but I'll call to let her know we're here. Perhaps she'll be able to join us for supper."

"Okay," came the little girl's weary reply.

*****

The three weary travelers were happily settled in their suite, and Miriam was taking a nap while they waited for their hostess to arrive. The adults, too, were tired from the long day; forcing themselves to adjust to the new time zone.

The soft rapping on the door startled them from their light doze; David opened the door to reveal a windblown, slightly damp Nicole.

"Hello, Ms. Harrison. Thank you for coming so promptly."

Judith noticed the wince that flickered on the tall woman's face. "David, I don't think we need to be -- or should be -- quite so proper. You know that Americans aren't terribly formal, and under the circumstances ...." She refrained from completing the sentence as she rose and started toward the door; the whole point of the trip was to make their family a part of Nicole's, and even the British upper-classes weren't so formal with family.

The man looked slightly embarrassed. "Forgive me, Nicole. Thirty years of practice lead to heavily ingrained habits."

The tall redhead clasped his hands in her own. "It's alright, David. The situation is strange by any reasonable measure, and we'll all need time to adjust." He gave her a firm handshake, and then released her as his wife walked up with hands extended.

"It's good to see you again, Nicole," she said as she greeted the visitor. They clasped hands briefly, before the couple took seats in on ouch, while the redhead settled into a chair.

"Miriam's resting, I take it? It must have been a long day for her."

The Epps' related the tale of their day of travel, and they listened to the outlines of the locals' planning for the weekend. Nicole was insistent that they have their Sabbath, if they chose; with the morning blocked out for her training, there would be only a little time lost.

A sound from one of the bedrooms drew Nicole's attention, and she turned to watch the door as it opened to reveal a newly-awakened Miriam. She tottered sleepily to her mother, climbed into the warm security of the familiar arms, and sent a tentative smile toward their guest.

The smile was returned by the queen as the discussions free-wheeled until the child made it clear that she was awake and hungry, though more politely than many adults would have. Her suitably chastened parents gathered her up and, after a brief pause to return Miriam's clothing to a fit state, the four made their way to the restaurant.

*****
Dulles International Airport
Friday, March 16, 2001
5:30PM EST

There was rain; there was wind; there were flight delays. The plane had finally arrived, and Kate gratefully queued up with the rest of the passengers to leave the aluminum cigar that they'd been cooped up in for the last five and a half hours.

She'd felt funny taking the week of vacation time, but, as she'd listened to the number of tasks that needed to take place before Nicole's departure for boot camp, it had seemed to be wise to allow the meetings to be spread out over a longer time.

And all that was beside the point that she'd become very fond of her friend and queen; it was a chance to see how she was doing in all the adjustments to her new role.

The shuttle deposited her and her fellow passengers at the main terminal, where she made her way to Baggage Claim. Luggage thunked against the side of the carousel, and the crowd of tired, impatient people jostled for position to retrieve their belongings and make their escape.

"It's about time you showed up. Were you delayed getting away from LA?"

Kate started at the unexpected voice, and whirled to see Nicole standing just behind her.

"Sis!" The happy surprise in the cry was punctuated by a warm hug. Kate's luggage, ignoring the distraction, slid quietly onto the carousel and began its unaccompanied tour of the baggage claim station.

Kate's expression, as she watched her bags wobble majestically around the circle, left her friend snorting with suppressed laughter. The errant luggage finally deigned to return, was collected, and the two women left the terminal for their short ride to Nicole and Angela's apartment.

*****

Angela was curled in a chair, sipping tea, as the door opened. Nicole had mentioned that she'd have a visitor -- a friend from Los Angeles -- to pick up from Dulles, but that she'd take care of dinner once she returned.

The cheerful voices of the two women echoed in the entry as coats were hung and luggage dragged in. ~It sounds like a sisters' reunion,~ Angela thought.

"Kate, I'd like you to meet my roomie, Angela Ogle. Angela, this is my dear friend and surrogate sister, Kate Tanner."

Angela saw a young brunette who looked short in comparison to her towering friend. Travel fatigue was clear in her face, and she seemed to be running on nervous energy at the moment. Kate's face would lose her a bundle if she took up poker, Angie decided. She wore her affection for Nicole on her sleeve, but there was something a bit more than just sisterly affection. She couldn't quite put a finger on it, but there was a leavening of respect that was unusual.

Kate had been curious about her queen's roommate. The occasional phone calls and e-mails hadn't really shed light on the other resident, but Nicole had seemed to approve of the woman with whom she shared the apartment. Kate wasn't surprised, now that she'd met the woman. The soft, southern accent was muted but clear in Angela's welcome. Having an older person around -- ~Well, at least older than I am,~ Kate snickered internally -- had to have made the settling in much easier, too. There was also no doubt about her welcome, and no hint of resentment at the intrusion.

The newcomer was directed to Nicole's room, while the redhead put on an apron and turned her hands to dinner. Once Kate returned, Angela indulged in some good-natured teasing about her roomie's lack of cooking skills.

"There's hope, though. We haven't had any ER visits for the whole week!"

Kate snickered as the poor victim turned her head and stuck out her tongue at Angie. The snicker turned into a choke as Nicole fired back: "My skill level is a direct result of my teacher's ability."

The meal, though fairly simple, was very good; Nicole flushed in pleasure at the praise from her friend and her teacher.

*****
Saturday, March 17, 2001
7:00AM EST

Kate had muttered at the disturbance when Nicole's alarm had sounded, but the roll-away bed that had been rented was comfortable enough to allow her to ignore the rude noises enough to get back to sleep. Nicole had warned her the evening before that she had an early appointment with the colonel, and would be gone until an hour or so after lunchtime.

Kate planned to sleep in, and then take in some of the area sights when Nicole got back. She could have rented a car, but it wouldn't be as enjoyable seeing the attractions alone. She also understood the heavy demands of her sister's schedule. There would be time over the next week to share.

She didn't know, yet, about Nicole's noon appointment.

The redhead met David Stirling at the appointed time, and began the session with the recitation of the material she was supposed to memorize. The Colonel had enhanced the lessons by explaining the rationale behind the routines, and they spent time discussing the reasons as she went through her physical exercises.

~I'll be sorry to lose him as an instructor. He explains the why, not just the what and how.~

She began her workout, as had been decided at the beginning, with a run through the tests that each recruit faced. It was the easy part of the workout, and served as an easy warm-up for the real efforts to come. Nicole was sure that she'd appreciate the extra instruction when she reported for training, but at the moment, knowing she'd be reduced to an exhausted wreck of quivering muscles, it was hard to keep her perspective.

The gleeful anticipation that underlay his impassive face didn't help either.

~Beast!~

*****
12:20PM EST

She walked briskly through the mall on her way to her appointment, hoping to get this done as quickly as possible.

Her hair had been long ever since she'd become a woman. Despite the work involved in keeping it clean and styled, Nicole had come to see her long, red locks as an integral part of her self-image. The Marines, however, had regulations that prohibited the hairstyle -- the maximum length permitted was above the bottom of the collar.

She'd thought about the timing, and had wondered if it was wise to cut it just before the ceremony this evening. She had wanted some time to recover from her own shock, and an opportunity to get accustomed to the lack of weight of hair. Getting the cut today, though, had the advantage that, with everyone around tonight, she would have a chance to enjoy the reactions of her sister Amazons to the change.

She stopped as she reached the entrance of the salon, and fingered the long, loose hair that flowed over her shoulders. It would be years before she'd be able to let it grow again, but it *would* grow back. And this would help Tara, too.

With a deep breath, Nicole walked into the salon.

"Hello, I'm Nicole Harrison, and I have a twelve-thirty appointment."

The stylist was somewhat surprised to find out how much hair Nicole intended to have removed, but she was more than pleased to use extra precautions once she heard the story of what her customer intended for the tresses. The manager was called over as she'd dealt with such needs before. A roll-away table was brought out with tissue paper on top to allow each lock to be laid out and preserved as it was cut away.

When the stylist turned the chair, and allowed Nicole to see herself in the mirror, it took an effort of will to hold her emotions in check. The above-the-collar style looked fine -- it even looked good on her -- but it was hard to reconcile herself to yet another marked change.

The appointment had taken much longer than a normal haircut would have, but at the end of it Nicole left with a new, off-the-shoulder hairstyle. The hair that had been cut off and wrapped in paper had been placed in a plastic bag to protect it from the weather.

*****

"Nicole! What did you do to your beautiful hair?" Kate asked in shock. Angela was intrigued, and only a bit surprised, as she knew the redhead was due to depart in a bit over a week.

The surprise passed, and Kate began her inquisition. She was less interested in what Nicole had done than annoyed that she hadn't warned her friends about the plan.

~And that's probably why she did what she did. She's indulging her weird sense of humor,~ the young brunette fumed.

The discussion continued as the tall woman prepared and demolished a sizeable lunch. Nicole readily admitted that she'd kept everyone in the dark, but she was entitled to have a little fun. Angela inquired about the evening's activities; it was obvious that there were plans of some sort in the offing.

"You seem to be awfully busy for a transient."

Nicole chuckled. "Everyone's in town, it seems, to get a last visit before I disappear for three months. This one," she pointed at Kate, "had some vacation time. A friend of mine from England is in, too, so we're getting together tonight with Amelia and Trish at the folk festival."

"I think I'd be worn to a nub if I tried to keep your schedule, Nicole," the older woman said.

After Kate's obviously measuring look at Nicole, and the unspoken 'you're too late' that came with it, she dragged an unresisting redhead out the door to do some sightseeing before meeting their friends at the festival to help with setup for supper.

*****
5:30PM EST

"Oh, Nicole!"

Amelia didn't shriek or raise her voice, but the shock and horror in her voice clearly communicated her attitude toward the change of hairstyle. She walked over and ran one hand through the shortened locks as she studied her coworker's face. The set of the tall woman's shoulders, and the tight lips of her mouth, broadcast her tense state of mind.

"Are you okay with this?"

The tall woman shrugged, aware of the attention of Kate and Trish -- as well as the love and concern that were layered so heavily into the bond they shared.

"It needed to be done, whether I'm okay with it or not. It was still a lot harder than I thought it would be."

She closed her eyes to control a surge of resentment against the latest demands of her freely-chosen life. Gentle hands from each of her sisters touched an arm, or hand, or shoulder as their comfort surged through their emotions; it was a reminder from them that she'd not be alone unless she chose to be.

The redhead's grateful smile echoed around the group, evoking relief in the trio standing around her. "I'm okay again, and thank you. It's just a little hard when I get used to looking one way, then have another big change come along." She reached out and hugged each woman. "Now let's get things set up before the Epps get here."

*****

The sun was nicely down when the family came walking up from the ticket booth; David and Judith strolled along with Miriam toddling along between them. The latest wave of showers had passed for the moment, and the three moved as quickly as possible toward the building that housed the performances during inclement weather.

They'd had a quiet couple of days between sightseeing and the Sabbath, but it was time to meet Judith's new 'sisters.' The two adults scanned the crowd for the tall, familiar redhead; they both stopped abruptly when they saw the newly-shorn figure.

Miriam halted when her parents did; when she caught sight of Nicole, she burrowed into her mother's coat and peeked out, uncertain at the change in the tall protector's appearance.

A worried, young voice threaded its way out from the coat, as an equally uncertain eye peeped out.

"Do I know you?" the little one asked.

Nicole crouched down. "Yes, you do, Miriam. I am Nicole, the same person who helped you and your mother."

"You don't look the same. Your hair is all short."

The redhead grinned, and shook her head. The shortened waves whipped back and forth. "You're right, I had my hair cut today. I had to have it cut short before I go to learn more about how to protect you all. You don't like my hair, now?"

A firm shake of the little head, combined with the dubious look in the child's eyes, left no doubt of her opinion.

Nicole patiently coaxed the child out of hiding, finally winning a small, tentative smile as the little one decided that short hair was the only change. She still chose to walk with her mother as the queen walked and chatted with David.

The backstage area was cluttered and busy; performers were indulging in a meal after a long afternoon of playing, or were gathering themselves for their time on stage. Nicole led the new arrivals to a practice room, with nearly sound-proof walls, in a corner of the building; Trish had wheedled a larger space from the organizers by pleading out of town visitors -- and bribing them with a promise of first dibs at leftovers. Amelia had set up hot plates and a crockery cooker with recipes that had everyone in the room fighting to restrain themselves.

Nicole introduced the Epps to the rest of the Amazons; as expected, Miriam had the women mostly wound around her finger in moments.

"Okay, everyone, listen a moment," Nicole began. "Before we go on with what we're here to do, I want to emphasize that having David here is going to raise the stress level a lot." At the puzzled looks, she decided to explain. "Remember what happened to the ancient Amazons? As long ago as it was for us, it's as if it happened yesterday for Artemis -- like the Holocaust having occurred a year ago, rather than fifty-six years ago. Her pain is that fresh, and that intense.

"I asked her to allow David to be here, because I want their whole family to be part of what we're building; I thought it would be wise to warn everyone about it before we start. Does anyone have any questions?" She looked at David and Judith first; each shook their head, as did the rest of the group.

"Okay, one more thing. Miriam? Come here a moment, please." Nicole knelt down to put her head on the child's level, and stretched out a hand. The little girl walked carefully over, and she nearly melted into the queen's hug.

"Miriam, something very special is going to happen, soon. I don't want you to be frightened, though."

"My mummy is going to be your sister, like in my dream?"

"Yes," the redhead grinned, "she's going to be my sister. The lady who will make her one of my sisters can seem very scary, but I promise she won't hurt anyone here, okay? And once she's done, we'll all have a good supper together."

The child nodded as Nicole released her to her father, and then stood to face Judith.

"Judith, this is your chance to back out if you aren't completely sure you're comfortable with what's coming. No one here will blame you." She grinned. "We'll even still have the supper together."

Judith stood straight and looked at the queen steadily. "I'm quite certain, and I wish to proceed."

Nicole nodded and took a look around. Kate, Amelia, and Trish were along one side of the room; David and Miriam were guided over to join them, then Nicole led Judith to the other side, across from the group.

"Lady Artemis?"

The familiar form, accompanied by the still-intimidating wash of ancient, ageless power, appeared in the room. Artemis glanced at David briefly, and gave a wan smile and nod at the question in Nicole's eyes. The love between the husband and his wife was a tangible thing, and Nicole had, if anything, understated the quality of the man. As hard as it was, allowing his presence was the right thing to do.

"My Lady, we have another woman who has accepted the call to become an Amazon."

"I see." Artemis moved to stand before the wife and mother, who swallowed nervously. "I know Nicole asked this already, but I prefer to make sure. Are you ready to take this oath?"

"I am."

"Very well. Judith Rachel Epps, do you swear your allegiance to your Queen, obeying her in all things and forsaking and renouncing all other allegiances? Do you swear to support your sister Amazons, giving them all the aid and comfort in your power? Do you swear to aid the weak and helpless as you are able?"

"I do." Her eyes glistened.

"Nicole Joy Harrison, do you, as Queen, accept Judith as your sister and a true Amazon? Do you swear to protect, teach, guide, comfort, and aid her?"

"I do." Nicole returned the goddess's gaze calmly.

"Then welcome to the Amazon Nation, Judith, my daughter." She placed a hand on the woman's head, and a soft silver glow spread over her body.

Miriam gasped a little in fear, her emotion echoed in her father's face, as the glow faded, and her mother wobbled; Nicole reached out and steadied the newly-empowered woman for a moment.

"Welcome to my family, sister."

Nicole could see the moment when Judith first felt the bond with her queen and new sisters, and grinned at the tears of joy. "That's one thing I didn't tell you about; you'll know your real sisters whenever you meet them, because you can feel them with the bond that we share. Now then, before you go too far and crush the silverware...."

Miriam giggled as her mother started to learn a minimal level of control over her new strength; David was enlisted to pitch a number of sacrificial aluminum cans in Judith's direction, though Miriam insisted on tossing some of the cans -- some of which even made it to her mother's hands. Judith was elated when she was finally able to catch an empty can without it looking as if it had been stomped on.

While the Epps were providing impromptu entertainment, Nicole spoke a very quiet word of thanks to Artemis, and she added a firm hug of appreciation.

"Artemis, I know how hard that was for you. Look at them, though." The game of aluminum can catch had grown to include the other three Amazons, with Trish and Amelia working to surprise each other on occasion.

"I see two loving couples having a good time with each other and as a group," the queen looked at the thoughtful-looking goddess, "and that's the foundation of all we'll build later. There won't be many like David, but they'll be important when they come."

She looked for a moment more at the game. "When was the last time you played catch with a child, Artemis?" Nicole smiled, and handed an empty can to her companion. Miriam had turned in their direction and saw the can handed over; the little one held her hands out to catch the expected can when it was tossed.

*****

The game ended when the smell of the feast, and rumbling stomachs, overpowered the joy of simple play. The group dragged a couple of tables out from the wall, found enough odd chairs for all eight of them, and sat down to enjoy the buffet-style meal. Amelia had shown her familiar skill in an unfamiliar cooking style, and was on the receiving end of high praise.

As they finally finished with the dessert, the redhead looked around the room. Nicole had thought about this moment for the last several days. Had David been excluded, it would have been simple -- she'd just tell her new sister the whole tale. With David and Miriam, the situation became slightly more complicated, as a four-year-old couldn't be relied on to keep a secret.

"David," she began, "I have some business that is adults-only, and Judith needs to be here. Would you take Miriam out to the music hall for about twenty minutes or so, please?"

He nodded, gathered the little girl up, and the two made their way out to mingle with the crowd.

When the door was shut and secured, Nicole glanced around the room. "Judith, what I'm going to tell you now isn't to be shared with anyone other than David under any circumstances. Everyone else here has heard it already. I'm telling you because you're one of the women who'll be setting things up for the long term, and there is information you'll need to do your jobs effectively.

"My story begins back near the end of November of last year ...."

It took only fifteen minutes or so for the redhead to relate the whole of her personal history; the practice was making it easier to keep the level of detail down and still tell all that needed to be told. At the end of it, she saw pity in Judith's eyes -- for the sacrifice Tom had made, as well as the long years that lay ahead of the young looking queen.

"So now I'm planning to spend the next ten years, at most, in the Marines, so I can learn the military side of things. In the interim, there's a lot that will need to happen. Each of you will need to take self-defense classes so you can control your strength and speed. The beach incident is a good example of what can happen. There's a lot more, but it will take more time than we have tonight. The next few days and nights that I have free, I want us to get together."

Nicole's face turned grim. "This will be our first council of war, sisters, and I'd like to start tomorrow afternoon."

There should have been a bolt of lightning outside, with a flicker of the lights and thunder at the ominous statement. Instead, there was only the soft hiss of the air conditioning as it fought to pull the humidity from the outside air.

"I don't have all the questions, much less answers, so think it all through. What do we need to do now? What will we need to do over the next twenty years?" The redhead chuckled. "Even think longer term, and consider what we might need a hundred years from now. It's open season, ladies, so good hunting. I'd like us all to meet again tomorrow; starting just after lunch, to at least start working on the questions and answers."

The discussion was interrupted briefly as David and his daughter returned; the group recapped the topic, and all agreed to meet here again tomorrow afternoon, at the hotel on Monday, and then at Amelia and Trish's on Wednesday evening.

*****

Connie sat back in the lamp-lit room, studying the recruiter's materials. He hadn't quite said that memorizing the material was required before reporting, but she could take a hint. Every spare moment was a chance to review something, or run, or work on her employer's weight machines.

She didn't resent the heavy exercise, as it helped ease the stress she felt. Even when the young woman found herself weeping quietly from sheer loneliness in the middle of the night as she started awake from a nightmare, she found the workouts helped purge the leftover adrenalin from her system.

It would have helped to have someone she could really talk to, but she didn't have much of a social life; the men in the office were either contemptuous or they seemed frightened, and there were strong hints that she shouldn't waste time trying for any dates. Each day ended with her muscles weary, and her emotions equally worn. If it hadn't been for Rod and a couple of other men, she'd never have been able to manage.

*****

Miriam was bathed and had snuggled down in bed. She'd enjoyed the playtime with the adults, but still wasn't used to the time change. Her rabbit was securely nestled in her arms as Judith pulled the door partially closed.

She dropped onto the sofa beside her husband as the excitement of the day gave way to fatigue; it wasn't yet time to relax, she decided. It was best to relate Nicole's story before she forgot the details.

"David, after you went out with Miri, Nicole told me something she thinks we both need to know."

She repeated the tale that Nicole had shared about her true history, and watched with some amusement as her husband's eyebrows inched toward his hairline.

She just watched him after she finished. She knew, with no shade of doubt, that the tale had been true in every detail; the cascade of emotions from Nicole had been too raw and intense for any falsehood. It was a story worthy of the Brothers Grimm, or Hans Christian Andersen, and yet it was real.

David's face reflected the struggle to accept this latest twist. It was hard to accept the idea that the ancient Amazons were real; it was harder yet to process the concept that the tall, slender redhead was the miraculously strong queen of the reborn nation. The notion that less than six months ago Nicole had been a fifty year-old man was incomprehensible.

"I just can't understand how anyone could do what she did. There's no sign that she's been anything other than a woman."

Judith snorted. "Not to you, perhaps. To me, and I suspect to the others as well, it explains some odd things she does at times. Kate was the first to know Nicole, and she says there has been a lot of change over the last three months. The signs are subtle, but if you know what you're looking for, it's clear."

*****

The cats had practically bowled Amelia and Trish over as they carried the gear in from Trish's truck, and the women sat on the sofa to rest and give the felines their due. The kitties slowly settled in, stretching out on their human's legs as the conversation wandered from how Trish's sets went, to some of the new, local performers, to some of Trish's friends from out of town who'd performed.

"They were really surprised at some of the new riffs today," Trish said. "There have been some that I've had in my head for a while, but never had the strength and quickness to make them sound the way I wanted."

"So what did you tell them? 'Oh, I'm an Amazon, now, so my fingers and hands are strong enough to do anything I want?'"

The musician snorted. "Right. They'd never believe it, and Nicole would hang me by my thumbs, cover me in catnip, and turn these critters loose. What do you think of Judith and her family?"

They talked about their new sister, and the calm, sedate manner with which she carried herself. David, too, seemed to be a delightful person.

"You really are taken with Miriam, though, aren't you Mela?"

The blonde blushed a little, but smiled as she nodded. "You know how much I love children, and she's such a bright, sweet child."

Her partner reached over and took her hand. "I know you want children, and so do I. We'll start looking at our options when things settle down just a little."

The cats fussed quietly when the two leaned together for a kiss.

*****

Nicole had wanted to talk with Kate about the events of the day, but the ride home was short. She was pleasantly surprised to see that Angela had left a note on the whiteboard that she'd be in late. She had a date that evening to see the St. Patrick's Day performance at the Kennedy Center.

They cleaned up and changed into sleepwear, before settling into the living room for a comfortable review of what had happened.

"I think I like Judith," Kate began. "She seems to be so calm, and yet even before she was empowered I could feel her warm personality. She just radiates 'Mom.'"

Nicole nodded. "She reminds me a lot of your mother. I wonder if it's a result of having a baby, or if it's a woman thing?"

The young woman grinned at her friend. "Judging by your reactions, I'd say it's a woman thing."

Nicole's mouth opened to retort, but she stopped before a sound came out. As much as Tom had wanted children, she knew that her reactions were different now. She closed her mouth, smiled a little, and shrugged.

Later, the redhead was lying on the edge of sleep and listening to the soft, steady breathing of her sleeping friend. So far, the weekend had gone as well as she could have hoped. She found herself grinning a little as it occurred to her that she'd started her period on Friday. She'd dealt with it all so automatically that it hadn't even registered.

Kate woke during the night to make a trip to the bathroom, and as she returned to bed, she wondered about the slight smile on her friend's face.

*****
Sunday, March 18, 2001

Nicole had deliberately waited until nearly twelve-thirty to make her way to the festival. She walked along with Kate on a circuitous route that allowed some checks on their back-trail. It was nearly quarter-to-one when the redhead and brunette joined the rest of the group in the backstage area.

Miriam had been provided with a book, and read it as she perched on Judith's lap. Her parents kept an eye on her as they chatted with Amelia; Trish was in the kitchen area, and the smell that permeated the room pointed to the making of some herbal tea.

Nicole giggled at the tale of the tea; Trish had made the offer shortly after the family had arrived, but the varieties that were available provoked a mild diatribe on the dreadful state of American teas. Even Miriam managed to twist her face into a scowl at the memory of the hotel's tea offering.

"Even coffee tasted better," Judith said with her own scowl.

Laughter chimed through the room from the Americans, and it took liberal applications of the flavorful herb tea to salve the wounded English taste buds.

Nicole noticed David glancing in her direction. His emotions were colored with embarrassment when she caught him, yet the confusion was roiling them as well. Judith had been given permission to tell Nicole's story, and had apparently done so.

~He'll be distracted until we've talked it out a bit.~

"Will it help to talk about it, David? I'm willing to answer any semi-reasonable question."

The other adults gave them space and kept Miri entertained, while the man tried to resolve his perplexity. He wasn't really sure where to start; the whole situation was so bizarre. David began by just verifying the main points of the story.

"I hear what you're saying, and I can grasp, however tenuously, your reasoning for accepting the call you were given. Nothing you've said about yourself seems to explain your willingness to become a warrior of any sort. Given the reputation of the Marines, it seems even more unlikely; why not have someone with a military background take that role?"

Nicole chuckled. "I have two reasons. The first is that, when all is said and done, all the responsibility is mine. I have advisors, helpers, and counselors, but the ultimate authority and responsibility are all mine. I have to know what I'm doing. I have to be ... like Henry the Fifth. He personally led his soldiers into battle, shared the risks, and the hardships. When necessary, I have to be just as well trained and willing to go 'once more into the breach' -- my apologies to William Shakespeare -- with my sisters to end the threat the Amazons face."

She paused for a moment. "I'm a peaceable person, David, but not a pacifist. Are you familiar with the American western 'High Noon'?"

The Englishman admitted that he wasn't enough of a fan of the genre to even know the title.

"It's a movie about a retired sheriff who learns that a killer and his gang are coming to town. The sheriff wants to just begin a new, quiet, peaceful life with his wife. He's peaceable, but the circumstances, and his sense of responsibility, make him decide that the right thing to do is to stand up to the gang.

"There's nothing I'd rather do than to spend however long it takes to quietly rebuild the Amazon Nation, find the remnants from the ancient families and clans, and take our place in the world without ever shedding a drop of blood.

"I've been warned, though, that our enemies are still out there and just as willing to kill us all. I will do no violence unprovoked, but I won't let my sisters, their families, or anyone else be harmed if I can help it.

"The second is that in all my project leader training, I was taught to lead by example. In this case, where I'm going to be calling women into a combat organization, I think it proper to put myself through the same training."

"You've given me a great deal to consider, and I appreciate your openness," he said.

When the group finally settled into chairs around the room, Nicole found she was in the one chair where she could see everyone else in the room. The couples had arranged themselves near each other in the tolerably comfortable chairs.

The idea of formality grated on Nicole, but this meeting would be only the first of many, and records would be crucial in ensuring that nothing would be forgotten.

Trish had offered to set up a recorder and several microphones to capture the discussions of the group at a later meeting; she thought someone -- perhaps Amelia -- might be able to rig up a voice-to-text program that would do some of the conversion automatically. Judith offered to record the current meeting, as she had extensive practice taking notes during meetings with clients.

"Okay, I think it's time to call the meeting to order. I don't know what to call you, yet -- my Cabinet, or Privy Council, or whatever -- but for now you're effectively the board of directors of the Amazons, and that includes David in an advisory role."

The Epps proved their worth, as they outlined the steps that were required to form a company or other large organization, the officers needed, and tasks each normally performed. Nicole would quite obviously be the chief executive, whatever the rest of the organization looked like. David had gotten his MBA at Oxford Brookes, and he outlined the sorts of business organizations he'd dealt with over the years, and the theoretical advantages of each, based on his experience and education.

The Europeans also spent time covering some of the governmental structures that were currently in use. The Amazons were a throwback, at least in theory, to the most ancient monarchial days when the ruler held absolute power. Nicole's description of her intent sounded as if she intended to build something more like a fairly normal, modern organization with a strong executive.

In any case, the actual tasks to be accomplished were a little different from most organizations. Secure communications were high on the list, as the women were scattered over a quarter of the globe already. The other immediate concern was finances, as Nicole would need someone to watch her affairs during any deployments, and some means of acquiring and distributing money would be necessary without attracting the attention of those who were out to kill them all.

"Unless you plan on setting up a diplomatic corps, I don't think there's any need to restrict ourselves to the government patterns for now. You'll likely want to keep things flexible enough to allow an easy reorganization when you finally reach the point you need to do so," David explained.

He had just finished, and the group was considering where the discussion should go from there, when a tired and slightly bored little girl climbed up on her father's lap.

"I think our little girl is tired," Judith said, "and probably will be hungry soon. With your permission, Nicole, I think David and I should take her back to the hotel so she can eat and get to bed."

Nicole nodded her agreement. "That's not a problem. How we organize ourselves right now won't matter too much in twenty years; there aren't enough of us to be too concerned. The background is going to be useful as we plan for the long term, and for the moment we just need to make sure you're all okay while I'm off playing soldier. With any luck, I'll get through the next ten years with nothing worse than floating around on troop ships; when that's done, we'll get down to more serious efforts to build up the Amazons."

As the family prepared to leave, the group arranged to meet the following evening at the hotel suite. There was still a lot of ground to try to cover, and little enough time for the work to be done.

*****
Monday, March 19, 2001

It was a cold, dry morning, with the temps expected to rise only to the mid-fifties in the afternoon, so Nicole was dressed in a layered look for the day. Kate grumbled at the absurd weather on this side of the country; it didn't keep her from laying out her tourist plans for the day as the three women chatted over breakfast.

As she and Angela left for work, Nicole left her apartment and car keys with Kate.

"You must trust her an awful lot," Angela remarked.

"I do. She really is the sister I never had before." ~Which is completely accurate, if misleading.~ "It was lonely at times when I was growing up."

Angela shook her head. "I had my brothers around, and there are so many cousins in the family that I wanted to get away sometimes." She had an expression that was somewhere between a smile and a grimace.

"We never quite appreciate what we have, do we?"

The two shared a thoughtful silence for the last few minutes of the trip to the office.

*****

Angela led the way into the office, but Jennie could see Nicole's head as she came through the doorway.

"What? ... Oh dear! You cut your hair already?!"

Her roommate waved as she continued on to her office, leaving Nicole to explain -- no doubt for the first of many times -- about the 'what and why' of her new hairstyle.

The senior staff, and in particular Joanne and the Colonel, nodded their approval; Vanessa and other young women around the office who knew Nicole were more vocal in their reactions to the change. Michael made a point to come out from his office to check on his new hire; his appearance reassured her.

The lunchroom group was encouraging, commenting on the more mature look Nicole had with the shorter hair.

"Mature? Me? Ha!"

"No argument on that point ...." came from a point suspiciously close to a long-haired strawberry-blonde.

"Everybody wantsta get inta the act!"

The redhead tried for a Jimmy Durante imitation, but the line was lost on the youthful crowd; her voice couldn't match the old comedian's growl either. She sighed in resignation.

"Nobody appreciates the classics."

This time Amelia looked up at her. "That's not true, Nicole; we appreciate you very much!"

It was loud enough to carry through the room, and even the tall target of the teasing joined in the laughter.

*****
Epps Hotel Room
7:00 PM EST

The group had deployed into the chairs and sofas in the living area of the suite, and beverages of various sorts had been provided. The Epps had made their displeasure known to the hotel, and the aroma of 'proper' tea wafted through the room. Judith had acquired a notepad, and had committed to continue to serve as secretary for this session.

"Okay," Nicole began as everyone settled in. "If nothing else, I think two things need to be settled: first, you lot need to be able to keep in communication with each other, and second, who's going to coordinate things if I'm incommunicado. One of you may come across another candidate, or have a problem you need help with. If you can't talk to each other safely and securely, someone might not get the help they need. Amelia, you're the local net-wizard."

Amelia picked up the thread of the topic. "Part of the communications problem is easy, as long as everyone has at least dial-up access. DSL, or faster, is better, but dial-up is good enough. Does everyone have a decent computer they can use?"

"What do you mean by 'decent'?" David inquired.

Nicole sat back and let her co-worker handle this part of the discussion; she watched the interactions between the five adults. They'd have to handle things without her, and knowing if they could work together was important. She had managed a short talk with Kate on the way over to outline what the redhead thought would be the best organization. Once Kate got over her shock, and her minor fit ran its course, Nicole explained her reasoning for what she had in mind.

The little brunette fumed, but understood. She'd do what was asked, even if she thought her friend was insane.

As a result, Kate found herself gently moderating the discussions as best she could. After the first couple of times she stepped in, Amelia gave her a long look, then quirked an eyebrow at Nicole. The queen nodded briefly, and the blonde quickly returned to the topic at hand.

~Someone's being tested today,~ Amelia decided.

David and Judith, too, seemed to pick up on Kate's designation as the chair. Each one glanced at Nicole as she sat quietly and smiled briefly.

The discussions touched on the software packages, and Amelia was unyielding on the requirement that anything they used be compatible with her Mac G4. Conferencing software was easy to choose, but keeping the traffic secure for all the platforms stymied them.

Nicole waited for a short time to see if someone would solve the problem, but finally spoke up. "There's a package called 'Stunnel' that works on pretty much all platforms. All you'd need is an IP address and port to connect to on the other end."

David wasn't a technical expert and relied on his staff to keep something functional on his desk; as the choices had finally been made, he spoke. "Will there be any expenses for all this? We cannot give you a blank check, but any reasonable expense can be managed easily."

The offer kicked off another round of discussions about equipment and connectivity, which segued into a quick discussion on other security issues. The recent experience with hackers at WGSS had made it plain that providing a fixed target for their enemies was unwise. The ultimate source of the attacks was still unknown and an object of concern at the company.

The connection issue was tabled after Amelia offered to speak with a classmate of hers at American University who was employed at AOL. "All we need is an IP address that can be switched around some; I have an AOL account, so it shouldn't be a big problem to have my account tweaked."

Nicole spoke up to settle a couple of items quickly. "It sounds as if Amelia is the choice for handling our communications, which is no surprise. Given her experience, and the fact that any major funding in the near future will be from her resources, I think Judith will be our treasurer and in charge of any legal issues. One thing I don't want to do is have an overt connection between their finances and our operations. That might require some creativity on your parts, David and Judith."

The grin on the man's face was reassuring.

"Oh, I think we can be both creative and entirely legal -- can't we, dear?"

The expression on her face would have been frightening had it been directed toward the rest of the group.

Nicole cleared her throat and continued. "I know it's getting late, so I'd like to adjourn for this evening. I'll be busy tomorrow evening, so the earliest we can all meet is Wednesday."

The arrangements were made for a meeting, and meal, at Amelia and Trish's apartment. Trish and Amelia left first, as Nicole and Kate pulled on their jackets.

"So, when will you formally announce that Kate will be your stand-in while you're gone?" Judith asked as David helped Kate with her jacket.

The queen glared at the woman for a moment. "I suppose I was pretty obvious, but it's the only way to make it all work without someone getting too much to handle."

"I agree, based on what I've seen of the women involved," said Judith. "Amelia is the only other logical candidate, and she's going to be busy handling the communications and her studies."

"You could do it as well, Judith," Nicole said, "but you and David will be busy with setting up the financial side of things. There are also long term questions about where we'll make our home, training sites, and the like. You won't be bored."

*****
Wednesday, March 21, 2001

The cats were utterly enthralled by the little human. They'd been perched on the back of the couch, watching in sleepy indifference as the parade of people entered. The last group, though, had a strange, new person. It was little, perhaps half the size of the other two-legs, and was as inquisitive as any proper feline. The small human quickly shed her outer garment and stood quietly examining the two Siamese as they sat up, stretched, and turned their attention to the new observer.

Miriam was equally fascinated by the two cats, as they sat quietly and studied her. ~They're so pretty!~ "Mummy, may I pet them?"

Judith glanced over and saw the two cats as they began to take more interest in her daughter. "You'll have to ask Ms. Ten Broeck. Those are her cats, I assume."

Amelia grinned as the little girl walked over. She was a little taken aback by how the little girl addressed her.

"Aunt Amelia, may I pet your kitties, please?"

~Aunt?~ The word was a surprise, not only to Amelia, but also to the other Amazons. As she considered the term, she decided it shouldn't have surprised her. Miriam had said her mother would become Nicole's sister, and since the Amazons were all sisters it made sense -- of a sort, anyway.

"Miriam, you may pet them and even play with them. They have a little travel carrier in the bedroom, though, and if they go into the carrier, you must leave them alone. That's their safe and quiet place, okay? Now, let me introduce you to them."

Amelia led the little girl back toward the twin Siamese.

"Now this is Yang," the blonde gently stroked a cat's head, "and this one in Yin. Hold out your hand so they can learn your scent."

The little girl stretched out a hand, and the two felines took a tentative sniff. The whiskers tickled her fingers, and provoked a giggle from Miri; the giggle turned into a laugh as the cats decided she was worthy of their full attention. They took turns head butting and stropping the little one's hand, much to Amelia's surprise. The soft buzz of their purring emphasized the felines' pleasure.

"They seem to like you, Miriam! You may play with them, as long as they don't run to their carrier."

The little girl nodded, hugged the blonde happily, and scurried off with her waiting playmates.

The group chuckled at the interplay, and settled in for the evening's discussions.

Nicole called the meeting to order. "First, thank you, Aunt Amelia, for the loan of the cats for entertainment. And thank you, Judith, for the loan of your child as a cat toy." The half-serious comment evoked laughter from the group. "On a more serious note, I'll warn everyone now that Kate will be running this meeting. Judith is best suited for handling the legal and treasurer roles, and Amelia will be busy managing our communications. That leaves two posts at the moment: we'll need someone to chair the meetings and coordinate when I'm away, and, second, we'll need to start looking at laying the foundation for our new nation. Part of that foundation will be an introduction to the Amazons -- our history and culture -- which I think Trish will be well suited for. Trish's other task will be to very carefully start looking for what might be left of the ancient Amazons. There might be some stories or music that came from our sisters who escaped."

"So what do you intend for this evening?" Trish spoke up, as her interest was sparked by the prospect of a whole new range of music to explore.

"I'm not terribly concerned about Trish's part. She has help from Amelia -- especially with her course work in anthropology -- and her own experience, too.

"Kate, on the other hand, will need some mentoring. I'm dumping a lot of responsibility on her that she hasn't the training or experience for. David, we're operating on a very small scale right now. Are you willing to give her some guidance? She's in a graduate program that will give her the training, but it's important to get everything set up correctly at the beginning."

The meeting started out with an introduction to the responsibilities of a chief of staff for Kate. She wasn't quite panicked, but no-one needed the bond to know the young woman's state of mind. Trish had been generally quiet, but she felt the need to encourage the worried woman.

"Kate, you're worried that you're not up to the job, and that's understandable. You need to remember, though," the musician took her partner's hand, "that you have help available. Amelia stepped in and helped me with my website, then took on the nearly impossible task of helping me organize my bookings. Kate, there is help if you need it. Any, or all of us, will do whatever we can."

Heads around the room nodded their assent, and Kate returned a slightly relieved, but still stressed smile.

"You don't have to worry, Kate," said David. "At this moment, you have a very small group. There is time for you to grow into your role as the group grows, and you can call on Judith, or me, if you have any questions."

The discussions for the evening quickly turned to their opponents. While Nicole might be busy for the next few years, there was nothing to keep the rest of the group from continuing the effort to identify those hunting her.

Nicole outlined her immediate concerns. "There are at least three items to follow up on while I'm away. First is the vending service man who nearly panicked when I walked up that one day. I can't say what he was up to, but his reaction makes me think we have some connection there.

"The second person is Connie Sinclair. There's something that I can't quite identify about her, and it might be helpful to look at her background a little.

"The third is to keep digging at who is trying to breach Amelia's firewall. Something's going on there, and it seems a strong thread to follow."

As the group finally broke up for the night, Judith made a point of thanking Amelia for all her hard work in preparing kosher meals for them.

"It wasn't entirely necessary, but it truly helped us all feel more welcome. You are all, of course, welcome at our home any time you visit England," she said as she hugged her new sisters.

Miriam said goodbye to her furry playmates, making a point of speaking to each one by name and receiving affectionate strops in return.

Nicole just watched, baffled by the child's ability to tell the cats apart.

*****
Los Angeles
10:00PM PST (8:00AM Central Complex Time)

Diego looked at the clock in his office. There had been rumors from the office in Washington about a reshuffling of personnel; one of the staff had been saddled with the useless task of following the redhead -- Harrison, was her name -- as she went into the Marines.

~One of the women, I hear, so it isn't much of a loss. That will still leave an opening in the place, and it's the next logical step toward the main office. And thinking of the main office....~

He dialed an overseas number, a login code, and waited. A familiar voice came on the line.

"Seyyed, here. What can I do for you, Diego?"

"Seyyed, some interesting rumors are coming from the DC area. I hear there's an opening, and if there is, I want it; what will it take?"

The man on the other end chuckled. "Always direct and to the point, aren't you? Your report on the redhead you trailed almost got you terminated, despite your careful wording. You should learn to be more circumspect."

"They need to know the truth, even if they don't want to hear it. In any case, you haven't answered my question. You have the contacts in the central office, so what will it take?"

It was well after midnight before the negotiations were complete.

*****
Friday, March 23, 2001

Spring in northern Virginia seemed to bring the same kind of roller-coaster temperatures as Wisconsin had experienced, just a bit earlier in the year. The winds whistled around the outside of the facility as David Stirling, Nicole, and Michael met for the last time to discuss her readiness for boot camp.

David and Nicole had both worked hard over the intervening weeks to ensure that Nicole would be as physically and mentally prepared as possible, and despite his occasional frustration, David was secretly pleased with how well it had gone.

Nicole suppressed a smile at the Colonel's carefully concealed emotions as she sat down. He'd tested her hard last night, both physically and mentally. He'd pushed even her memory to reinforce the critical details and meaning of the material she'd been given to memorize. At the same time, he'd given her advice about what to expect, and how to manage herself during the years to come.

He had also warned her that, as an older recruit, she'd be among the first chosen for command responsibilities. Advice had followed about what to do to ensure that she, and those under her command, functioned as effectively as possible.

The physical part of the testing had been exhausting, but Nicole finally felt able to fully control her strength. More practice lay ahead, but at least she wasn't as worried about hurting someone accidentally.

"So overall," David concluded, "Ms. Harrison will have no problem with the educational portion of her career. Indeed, her insistence on entering as an enlisted Marine, rather than as an officer, seems a waste of her talent. Her physical capabilities are more than sufficient for anything she is likely to face, even should she encounter combat. I believe it best to allow her to rest and relax between now and her report date; you may have the weekend off, Nicole.

"Now that the training is complete, are you willing to tell me why you thought it necessary to spend the time working on physical training for someone who is capable of lifting at least five hundred kilograms -- twice the Olympic record for men?"

Michael saw the pleading look on the woman's face. She'd struggled over the last four weeks to keep the scope of her abilities concealed, but it was inevitable, it seemed, that he'd begin to discover her true limits. "Go ahead, Nicole. He's done more than he was asked, and hasn't spoken a word to anyone about you," he said as he nodded.

She didn't tell Stirling all of her story -- there was no need for him to know her full past -- but she sketched out her task and what she knew of her abilities.

"So," David began, "this is why you brought her in, Michael. I don't fully understand why you felt the need to conceal this information, as having more knowledge would have made it simpler for me to design more effective training. No doubt those hunting her are the ones who have been causing so much grief for Ms. Ten Broeck as well."

Nicole quirked an eyebrow at Michael, and received a nod and a smile in return.

"Part of the reason, David, was to help me learn how to conceal my full physical abilities. And thinking of Amelia, there is some additional help you can provide."

The look of surprise on the man's face was enough to elicit a brief giggle from Nicole. "There is more than one like you? Amelia is ..."

"Not quite like me, but she's one of my sisters. None of the others is as strong as I am, but they're much stronger than they used to be."

The Colonel sighed quietly. "I'm beginning to think I was better off before I found out what was going on. I think I might be of assistance, however."

Nicole felt a brief pang of sympathy for her friends, as she considered what they'd go through as David tuned his program for them. On the other hand, if it kept them alive and well, it would be worth it.

*****

Jeff Chambers stopped by as she was cleaning up a last few questions that had been added to her script help file.

"I have some forms for you, Nicole. We have other employees who've been called back to active duty, and you're being treated the same way as they are. Starting Monday, your military pay will be supplemented to bring your total income up to its current level, and your other benefits continue. You are expected to check in when you have extended leave, of course, but you still get a day or two of free time."

She quickly read through each of the forms and signed.

~The new signature is becoming automatic,~ she realized.

*****

The lunch hour was more like a lunch two-hour today, as Angela's team, an the IT group took Nicole out for a farewell lunch. There were a couple of gag gifts -- one of the ex-Navy people gave her an elementary reader 'to help restore her mental faculties after Marine exposure' -- and a couple of more serious, small items for post-boot-camp life in the military.

They were a tight-knit group of people, but as warm and welcoming a bunch of co-workers as could be asked for when you were a newcomer.

She'd miss them.

The situation wasn't made any easier when she checked her e-mail and found a message from Rich MacLeod. He passed along his grandmother's appreciation for the thank-you note Nicole had sent for the necklace and earrings.

'From your earlier e-mails, I know you'll be reporting, Monday, for Boot Camp. It was a good idea to have your boss help with your workouts; the SAS is a decent outfit, despite being Brits. ;-)

'The only advice I think you need, my friend, is to remember that most of the Drill Instructors are professionals. They're deliberately putting on as much pressure as possible in training, so you aren't overstressed when you're in combat situations. There are some sadistic bastards -- I apologize for the language, but it is appropriate -- but even it you wind up with one of them, it's only thirteen weeks. I have confidence in your ability to cope.'

There was more, and he closed with an invitation to meet whenever she was in town, and in particular to join him at the dance studio.

'I miss having a partner who's not a midget.'

She sent the message to the printer, and began to compose her reply.

*****
Washington, DC
Hunter Security Offices
1:25PM EST

Rod had called Connie in for a final meeting and briefing, before she was processed for release to active duty. She'd remain on the company's employment roll, as required by Federal regulations, but benefits would be suspended until she returned to the company full time. She couldn't be fired, but there was no requirement that the company do more than hold her position against her return.

"So, Connie, a little paperwork and you can take the rest of the day off, with pay. You've looked at all the raw data we have on the Amazons, and you know the personality profile by heart. Do you have any comments or questions before you go?"

The young woman sat, as silent as a marble statue, considering for one last time the nagging inconsistency of the task she had been set. She had seen the profile, and understood the sort of person she was tasked to find.

Yet she had also seen Nicole -- Connie found herself using the name, now -- in action. ~There is no way that she'd go along with the sort of hateful attitude that the profile required.~

But if Nicole wasn't a lead, then who should they look for?

She pulled herself from her reverie, and looked at her friend and boss. "Rod, what if we're looking for the wrong person?"

The man sat up at his desk with a look of utter bewilderment. "What do you mean?"

It was a leap beyond logic; an exercise in 'woman's intuition'. The search teams had scoured the video records from the airport, and none of the cameras had picked up anything. They'd looked at all the passenger data, and checked all the men and women they had records of, to try to find out who the recipient was. The scepter was nowhere to be found, and yet they knew someone had it. As Conan Doyle had said, through his character Sherlock Holmes, 'When you eliminate the impossible, whatever you have left, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.'

"What if it wasn't an adult, but a child that got the scepter?"

The implications of the question, and the impact on the organization's planning, were clearly understood by the man.

"That's a very, very good question, Connie. I wish you could be here while we start that search, but you need to process out. I promise to keep you informed as best I can."

He began a series of phone calls to his staff, after ushering his changeling friend out of the office.

*****

The Epps family had gone to a local synagogue to begin their Sabbath observance, leaving the four local Amazons free to help out with Trish's engagement. The back end of her poor, battered Toyota pickup had the various odds and ends she'd found useful, or necessary, over the last couple of years as she'd traveled around. Kate looked it over, wondering whether the truck was holding up the bumper-stickers, or if the stickers were holding the truck together.

As they unloaded, Nicole mentioned that Tara had hand-written and mailed a thank-you letter for the wig, and included one of the nicer, but still fun pictures taken of the two. The unloading paused as the women 'ooh-ed' over the pixie-faced child.

The four women quickly carted everything into the hall where the performance was scheduled, and Trish relished the chance to focus on her musical preparations. Her friends worked steadily at unpacking the various CDs from their boxes.

Trish paused for a moment in her preparations. The strings of her guitar were still adjusting to the room's temperature, and the slight shifts in the tuning made her cringe. It was better to wait for the little bit of time required for the temperatures to equalize and spare her ears the pain; it seemed even worse, now, since she'd been empowered.

~Sisters,~ she thought as she watched the other two Amazons for a moment. She had an older brother, but the idea of having sisters was taking some getting used to. Sorting out how she felt about being the younger sibling, twice over, was mildly annoying. It was, nonetheless, familiar territory.

She wasn't quite sure how to deal with Nicole at times. The odd mix of male and female set some of the musician's nerves on edge -- knowing how Amelia had been emotionally scarred in her youth, Trish tended to be as defensive as a mother bear -- and yet she had accepted the offer to become an Amazon.

Still, Amelia was comfortable with the other woman, and Nicole seemed as considerate as anyone could wish. The brown-haired youngster shook off the vague worry and returned to her task.

*****
Saturday, March 24, 2001

"Why are we running up the mileage on your Civic, Mela? My rental car needs to go back in a couple of days, and it has unlimited mileage."

Nicole was sitting, just a little sideways, in the back seat of the perfectly maintained, blue Honda. The car was buffeted by the gusts of high winds, despite Amelia's efforts to keep it steady. Trish sat beside her in the front passenger seat, and Kate was parked in the back, with Nicole.

"The poor girl needs a nice long run on occasion, and you deserve a chance to just sit and watch the scenery," the blonde replied. "Just make sure that hair doesn't get loose."

It seemed far less than two hours later when the trio pulled into the Colonial Williamsburg parking lot.

Nicole led the way to the wigmaker's, and handed the carefully packaged hair to Reginald. He extracted the tissue-wrapped locks from their plastic bag, and checked the contents for suitability. The women amused themselves by looking around the room until the man spoke.

"This will be more than adequate, gentle ladies. Whom should I contact when the work is done?"

Contact information was exchanged, final questions were answered, and the women left for their journey home. The Davidsons would take final delivery, as the wig would need a final fitting, and they would need to receive instructions on the use, care, and limitations of the wig.

As they left the shop, Kate asked for a short excursion around the main sites of the wonderful place. Her mother's interest in history had left her daughter with an appreciation for sites like Williamsburg.

"I don't know if my mom has been here, but I know she'd love it. I'll have to drag Alex here one day," the Californian commented as they walked around the Governor's Palace.

*****

The evening revolved, as had the previous one, around Trish's concert schedule. The musician had modified her program by inserting songs that Miriam might enjoy, and the girl's radiant delight was more than sufficient reward.

David found himself tasked to acquire a proper selection of CDs, and was even drafted to help in keeping the table stocked. Miriam 'helped', under Judith's watchful eye, and thoroughly enjoyed the time.

The adult Epps were less enthusiastic about Trish's musical tastes. They appreciated her skill, but their preferences tended more toward classical music than folk. Kate, on the other hand, was intrigued by the meld of energy and mellow sound in the music. It was different from her usual musical preferences, but she quizzed Trish for ideas on other performers and groups that were similar.

The time together, without the need to engage in the planning that had consumed the time they'd spent in the past, was relaxing -- the family ties were slowly being built between the members of the new nation.

*****
Sunday, March 25, 2001

Today was a time of leave taking. Nicole had focused on the more immediate tasks through the last week. Now, though, as Kate gathered her belongings, Nicole was forcibly reminded that a parting was imminent that would stretch for years. And however necessary it might be, she wasn't looking forward to it. The flight wasn't scheduled to leave until noon, but it still seemed far too short a time.

The two shared breakfast with a not-quite-awake Angela, and chatted about the sights visited during the trip. It was all too soon that Nicole found herself giving Kate a last hug in the terminal.

"You take care of yourself, Nicole, and I expect to get some letters while you're in training."

"I promise, sis. You take care of yourself, and your family. Give my love to your folks, and Alex too."

The redhead waved, as her friend turned for the last time toward her gate, and home.

*****

The Epps, too, were leaving for home, though their flight didn't leave until nearly seven o'clock this evening. They had risen early to begin the adjustment to their own time zone. Arrangements had been made, however, to meet with Nicole for luncheon.

It wasn't overly long, as Miriam's tolerance for sitting still wasn't up to such discipline, but it was a leisurely meal with a relaxed, casual conversation. It was tempting to turn their attention to business; after all, this was the last chance to speak face-to-face for an unknowable number of months -- perhaps a year or more.

~I can't always be fixated on work, though,~ the queen reminded herself. ~These people are family, now, and we need to build more than a common fear.~

So the conversation wandered between birthdays, and favorite places to visit, and stuffed rabbits -- the myriad things that are shared between family members. The afternoon fled in the flow of conversation, and even Miriam was kept interested by some of the stories that Nicole told of her own childhood.

Once again, the time came for a parting. Judith and David, despite the reserve each still displayed, were warm in their farewell.

Miriam was entirely unreserved, and made Nicole *promise* to come to *her* home again, and bring lots of stories and make some time for *her*.

The adults restrained their chuckles -- though some suspicious snorts were heard -- as Nicole solemnly promised to do her best.

*****

"So, all your visitors are on their way home?" Angela had returned from a matinee showing at the movies, and was just getting herself settled in as her roommate arrived.

"Yes, they're off again. It was good to have them around, even if it was just for a little while."

Nicole disappeared into her room to put her 'civvies' into protective bags in her closet. She smiled as she hung the infamous outfit she'd purchased at Kate's insistence, and the elegant green gown she'd worn at Somerley was hung beside it.

~Everything is going to smell like cedar, or mothballs, when it's finally extracted from storage,~ she thought as the pungent odor provoked a sneeze.

Supper was light, and seasoned with deliberately casual conversation. Angela had sensed Nicole's mildly depressed state after her friends' departures, and was more than willing to make allowance for it.

~I wonder if she'll ever share what she's up to?~ Angela wondered. ~Perhaps, when she gets back for a while, I can ask.~

*****

The redhead looked around her room, verifying that everything had been properly packed away. She'd promised to be up in time to say goodbye to her roommate, but the impending change was keeping her wakeful tonight.

~Thinking of saying goodbye....~ "Michael? Would you mind if I spent a little time with Elizabeth tomorrow after Angela leaves?"

*****

Notes:

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