Purpose

by  Julie O.

Edited by Amelia R.  &  Tyrone Slothrop
Background information on Santorini  by  Steffen M.

 

Chapter Fifty-Three

Hallie slept well and woke up next to Kim. Alex had decided that they would take the day off, so there was no need to rush. Hallie snuggled up closer to Kim, who was still sound asleep. She ran her hands across her tummy. She knew that she was way too early in her pregnancy to show, still part of her looked forward to it. She also knew that her child was very special. Lydia couldn't get her an appointment with her doctor until midweek. That would work out well, as Tracy would be gone and life would return to normal, or at least as normal as possible, thought Hallie.

Kim slowly began to stir. "Hmm…. good morning. What time is it?"

"Does it matter?"

Kim laughed. "Now that you mention it, no, it doesn't!"

Eventually they got up and got dressed. Hallie was pleased that her morning sickness had taken a vacation.

Hallie looked in on Tracy and saw that she was still asleep. The transformation was quite draining, Hallie remembered. She debated waking up Tracy, but decided to let her sleep.

Kim and Hallie walked up to the main house and found Alex, Carla, and Stefanos drinking coffee.

"Hmm, that smells wonderful!" exclaimed Kim.

"Ahhh, the dead arise!" quipped Alex.

"At least we're not the last ones up, Tracy is still sound asleep," replied Hallie, as she filled her coffee cup from the carafe.

"If I remember right, you slept in until well past noon," stated Carla.

Hallie nodded.

"We have a new dilemma. I just got a call from a friend in the government. The company that Konstantin worked for is sending a new representative, a lawyer to be exact, here next week. He's been in contact with some local lawyers and is going to press for the immediate shutdown of the dig," informed Stefanos.

"If we go public with the tub and the fresco won't that stop them?" asked Kim.

"The temple site is safe, but the surrounding area could be plowed under. My contacts tell me that they want to put in a major road to the hotel site," added Stefanos.

Hallie started to feel her temper rise. "They? You mean the Russian mob, don't you?"

Stefanos shrugged his shoulders. "The company that wants to build the hotel is legitimate."

"Does Mikos need some more goats?" quipped Kim. "Wait, if this guy is lawyer, can they change him into a snake instead?"

Hallie laughed. "If we found proof that this temple was part of a bigger complex, would that be enough to stop the development?"

Stefanos raised an eyebrow. "Of course. But we haven't found anything that suggests that this isn't an isolated temple."

"Did you get those maps and aerial photographs?"

"They're on order. I should have them Monday," replied Stefanos. "What do you have in mind?"

"The temple is just part of the site. There are other structures in the area, including a very old site. I don't have proof, but I just know that they're there."

"What do you hope to gain from the photographs? Any structures in the area would have been documented by now," stated Alex.

"I don't know. I just know that I'll know it when I see it. Does that make sense?" asked Hallie.

Alex shrugged his shoulders and smiled. "If you see anything of interest, I can see if we can get a survey."

"We'd better find something soon. My connection says that we only have a week," added Stefanos.

"I just can't believe that we've gotten this far and then to have those bastard developers win," exclaimed Hallie.

"They won't," stated Alex.

"Who won't?" asked Tracy.

All heads turned in the direction of her voice.

"Good morning, everyone," greeted Tracy in a cheerful voice. She was wearing a pair of green shorts and a floral blouse. "My Hawaiian shirt and surplus shorts also changed."

"Thank goodness for that!" exclaimed Kim.

"How do you feel?" asked Carla.

Tracy sat down next to Hallie. "I'm still a little tired, but I feel wonderful. The weight is gone."

"Weight?" asked Stefanos.

"My guilt. It felt like a two-ton weight on my shoulders. For the first time in my life, I don't feel guilty," explained Tracy.

"Good for you!" exclaimed Stefanos.

Tracy smiled. "I know that I said it already numerous times, but I want to thank all of you again. I cannot describe what this means to me!"

"I think we know," answered Hallie. "So, any regrets?"

"No. Correction, just one. I wish I had a photo of what I used to look like," answered Tracy.

Hallie shrugged her shoulders. "Sorry, can't help you there."

"Wait, a minute, maybe you can help her, Hallie. Do you think the drawing you made of Tyler is still in your notebook?" asked Kim.

"I don't know. It might have changed too," answered Hallie. She got up and retrieved her notebook and turned to the page where she had drawn the image of Tyler.

"Look at that! It's the same," exclaimed Kim.

"I guess it didn't change because it was drawn from dreams," noted Hallie.

Tracy stared at the drawing. "I know that I was only changed yesterday, but it seems like a lifetime ago that I saw that face looking back at me."

"Here, you want it?" asked Hallie.

Tracy nodded. "I'd like that, thank you very much. I'll treasure this the rest of my life." She then wiped away a tear.

"Hey, don't start that! I get teary easy enough these days as it is!" replied Hallie, her own eyes watering up.

Tracy smiled. "Sorry, I can't help it. It feels good to release my emotions for a change."

The emotional moment was broken up by the arrival of Theon and Lane. To the others' delight neither Lane nor Theon knew that Tracy had once been a man named Tyler.

"We have a wonderful announcement to make. Theon has asked me to be his wife!"

There was an initial deafening silence. This was broken by Stefanos exclaiming his joy that his son had finally decided to get married. Hallie and Kim were shocked by Lane's decision, but didn't say anything negative.

"So, what about the rest of grad school?" asked Kim.

"I'm going to drop out for now. Theon wants to have a family, and I can't raise a family and have a career at the same time!" stated Lane.

"Really? That's news to me!" mumbled Hallie.

Lane, hearing Hallie's comments, just smiled back. "I'm not criticizing what you're doing, but it's not for me. I want to have babies and take care of my husband."

Hallie bit her tongue and didn't make any comments about Lane becoming June Cleaver. "I can only wish you happiness."

"Thank you, Hallie," replied Lane.

"So are you going to live here in Crete?" asked Carla.

"No, Theon has accepted a job with a publisher in New York. But don't worry, we'll spend time here. We both want our children to know their grandfather!"

"I think I'm going to be sick," Hallie whispered to Kim.

The rest of the morning was spent planning the party. Carla took Lane into town to do the shopping for the food. Kim, Hallie, and Tracy drove down to the site with Alex.

They walked around the small valley looking for anything that might be part of a Minoan structure. They didn't find anything, but Hallie wasn't disappointed. "I didn't expect to just stumble over the ruins of a house."

"True, but this valley wasn't just picked out of chance. No ancient culture randomly selected a place for a religious site. Let's think about it. We know that traditionally the Minoans used caves, hilltops, and homes for religious purposes. So what makes this area so special? It's far away from any center of population," stated Alex.

"It's not easily accessible from the coast either," added Kim.

"Let's start with the water source. Maybe that's significant," stated Hallie.

"Maybe. Let's look at the rock," remarked Alex.

They walked back to the temple site and looked at the rock where the pipe was attached. Alex looked up the hill.

"What're you looking for?" asked Tracy.

"I don't know. But, as Hallie has said so many time, I'll know it when I see it!"

Hallie laughed. She looked around the valley, nothing significant leaped out to her.

Tracy began to stare at the tall hill directly across from the temple. "That might be a good place to start, if you wanted an aerial view."

Alex nodded. "You might be right. When we get the photographs that would be a good starting point. Good observation, have you studied archeology?"

Tracy shook her head and laughed. "No, just gunnery!"

They decided that they couldn't do much until they got the photographs. "No sense in hiking up there unless we get something worth looking at," remarked Alex.

Hallie reluctantly agreed. "Tracy, would you like to see the fresco?"

"Sure!"

They walked into the museum. The coolness of the building felt wonderful.

"We've been working on the messages the last few weeks," noted Hallie.

"The image is fantastic. My god, Hallie, you look just like the priestess!" exclaimed Tracy.

"So I've been told," replied Hallie with a smile. Her eye was caught by a few fragments of Linear H. "There you are!" She picked up the pieces and matched them to the first line of the Linear H version of the prayer.

"This means we have a complete sentence in each language!" shouted Alex.

Hallie and Kim were caught off guard by the normally reserved Alex's emotional outburst.

"This is a significant moment in archeology," commented Alex.

"Do we finish it or notify the world?" asked Kim.

"We'll send out a news release at the end of the week. It might delay any legal maneuvers of the hotel developers."

Hallie was too busy matching parts to the fresco. In a flash of inspiration she pieced together two more lines of the prayer in both Linear A and B.

"Enter this sacred building of your own free will and accept your new life. Free your body and mind and give your manhood to the Goddesses. Honor and praise the new form you are about to receive. Treat your body as the treasure that it is," read Hallie. "Not exactly Homer, but it's still pretty cool."

"How did that happen?" asked a stunned Kim.

"I just looked down and saw it. I can't explain it any other way," answered Hallie.

"How much more of the message is there?" asked Tracy.

"Just a few lines," answered Hallie.

"Is it enough to serve as a translation for the languages?"

"It will give language scholars something to work with. More importantly, it shows the existence of Linear H," answered Alex.

Hallie picked out a few more pieces of Linear H and pieced them to the fresco. "All caught up! We now have the first three lines in all three languages!"

"You sure?" asked Tracy.

Hallie nodded. "I've been able to read all three since my transformation. The problem is that Linear H only makes sense when it's a complete sentence."

Alex looked at his watch. "Well, we'd better get back to the house."

As they walked out of the museum, Mikos the goatherder waved to them. "I have a gift for you, my friends. Here's some fresh cheese from my goats." He held out a jar.

Alex took it and thanked him.

Mikos smiled back. "Yes, that new she goat you gave me has been a godsend. She produces much milk!"

Hallie looked over on the hill and saw the goats, including Konstantin, Big Boris, and Fat Boris. She immediately knew that there was no way she would eat the cheese. She wondered if the goats retained any of their memories. On a whim she walked closer to the large female goat that had been Konstantin and whispered "Glitsis."

The goat's ears perked and it darted up the hill.

"Sorry, I must have startled her," apologized Hallie, holding in her laughter. She felt like Igor in Young Frankenstein, tormenting the horses saying "Blucher."

"That's okay. She's very skittish," replied Mikos.

"Mikos, do you know of any springs in the mountains?"

"Springs? No. Wait. There was one way up there, but it's no use to me, the goats won't drink from it," answered Mikos, pointing up the hill behind the temple. "The water had a strong mineral taste if I remember right."

Hallie just nodded. "Do you remember where it is?"

He shook his head and pointed again. "It was up there somewhere. The slopes are too steep for me now. The goats have no problem with them, but that just makes it harder for me. I'm no longer a young man, like I was when I was seventy!"

Hallie laughed. So, there was something up there, the question was finding it, she thought.

Chapter Fifty-Two

After dinner, Carla, Hallie, and Kim drove Tracy back to the pier, so that she could catch a boat back to the Churchill.

"If you need anything, don't hesitate to call us," stated Carla.

"I'll be okay. In some ways, becoming a woman will make my job a little more difficult, but I wouldn't have it any other way," replied Tracy.

Hallie nodded. "Just remember that you're the same person; different sex, but your essence is the same."

"I'll see you all tomorrow at the barbecue. Thank you again for making me whole!"

Kim turned to Hallie. "You win."

Tracy looked slightly confused. Hallie laughed and turned to her. "I bet Kim that you'd thank us again before you left."

Tracy smiled back. "I hope you won something good!"

Hallie looked over at Kim, who winked. "Trust me, it's a wonderful prize!"

They watched Tracy board the liberty boat and then they headed back to the house.

"She seems well adjusted," remarked Carla.

Hallie nodded. "What I can't figure out is Lane. I'm stunned that she's giving up her career to get married."

"Especially to such an open-minded man as Theon!" added Kim sarcastically.

"I have to admit that I'm baffled myself; but if Lane is happy, who are we to question her decision?"

"I wonder if it was her decision," stated Hallie.

"You think that marrying Theon is part of her punishment for what she did to you?" asked Kim.

"Not just for what she did to me, but for the misuse of the object. We must be very careful to only use it for those who really need and want it," commented Hallie.

"I agree. By the way, may I count on your help tomorrow?" asked Carla.

They both nodded.

"Good, because I plan on putting out a true feast," stated Carla.

Chapter Fifty-Three

When they got back to the house, they found Stefanos, Theon, and Alex finishing up a bottle of wine. Judging by the number of empty bottles, they had been celebrating Lane and Theon's engagement.

Carla pretended to be angry. "Well, I see that you three have been busy. I still expect your help tomorrow, hangover or no hangover!"

"Sorry, but I've been waiting for years for Theon to get married," apologized Stefanos. "I was worried that I would never have grandchildren to spoil!"

"Where's Lane?" asked Hallie.

"She's calling her parents," replied Alex.

"This wine goes perfectly with this fresh goat cheese," remarked Theon. He popped a piece of the cheese in his mouth. "Here, Hallie, try some. Mikos makes the best goat cheese around"

Hallie almost gagged. "Umm, I'll pass, thank you." She glanced over at Alex who was trying not to smile. She just shook her head and sat down next to Kim.

"You ready to collect your prize?" whispered Kim.

Hallie nodded and they departed after saying their goodnights.

"I'm going to give you the best massage that you've ever had," whispered Kim.

"I thought we were going to have sex?" replied Hallie.

Kim giggled. "Massage first, sex afterwards!"

 

Chapter Fifty-Four

The officers of the Churchill arrived a little after noon. Hallie was pleased to see that Tracy was still hanging out with Sarah and Josh. She was pleased for Tracy, but was still a bit envious of her.

Nick gave ball caps to everyone. Stefanos was very pleased that his had his name embroidered on the back.

"Now that gold braid on the front is called scrambled eggs. It is the hat that senior officers wear," stated Nick as he handed the hat to Stefanos.

"I will wear it with honor!" boomed Stefanos.

While preparing the massive amount of food, Carla was totally in her element. To Hallie the kitchen looked like total chaos, but Carla seemed to have everything under control, even though she seemed to be preparing six different items at once. Maria jumped right in and helped Carla. Hallie did her best to stay out of the way.

While she didn't share Carla's enthusiasm for cooking, she did love to take in the wonderful aromas that were filling the kitchen, especially the scents of the spices and herbs used in the preparation of the meal.

"Hallie, would you go out and round up some volunteers for the bike," asked Carla.

"If you can't get any, let me know. I can throw my rank at them!" laughed Maria. "Also, Hallie, don't excuse the female officers, some of them are in better shape than the guys, especially Sarah and Tracy!"

Hallie nodded. Actually, Maria's threat wasn't needed. There was a big group of volunteers to ride the bike that turned the spit. It was a popular spot for photographs.

"Stefanos, do you have plans for this? I'd love to build one back home," asked Nick, as he peddled.

"My plans? They're all up here!" replied Stefano, pointing to his head. "But I can tell you how I worked the gear ratio."

A short time later Lydia arrived and after telling Nick that the crew party was well underway, she joined Carla and Maria in the kitchen.

Soon a mountain of food began to arrive from the kitchen. It was matched by the roasted meat coming from the barbecue. Carla had produced a wide variety of local dishes. In addition to the lamb, there was local seafood. There were many local fruits and vegetables. She had even managed to get some of the tasty cherry tomatoes from Santorini. Additionally, there were also several eggplant dishes.

Hallie was hesitant to take some of the feta cheese, until Stefanos whispered to her that it wasn't from Mikos' goats.

After filling her plate, Hallie managed to corner Tracy and ask her how she was doing.

Tracy sat down and discussed her first day on the ship as a woman, between bites of food. "It's amazing, but it's like nothing happened. Everyone treats me the exact same way."

"Exactly the same way?" asked Hallie, raising an eyebrow, as she took a sip of wine. Now that she was pregnant, she limited her drinking, but at the same time savoring every drop. She had donated the last of the Santorini wine for the feast.

"Well, not exactly. I've noticed that a couple of my male fellow officers look at me a little differently."

Hallie noticed that Tracy was blushing. "How do you feel about that?" asked Hallie, remembering how her sexuality shifted after her own transformation. She picked up an olive and popped it into her mouth.

"Mixed feelings, something new to deal with. I also find that I'm attracted to them," replied Tracy, blushing slightly.

"Does it feel natural to you?"

Tracy nodded. "But I'm not about to jump into something."

"Good," replied Hallie. "You have your whole life ahead of you. When you get back to the states buy a vibrator, trust me on this one!"

Tracy grinned back. "Oh, I wanted to give you this. Here is my e-mail, home address, and phone number back in the states." She reached into her purse and pulled out her card.

"Cool. Here let me give you Kim's and my address. I want to keep in touch, especially if you're going to be our daughter's godmother."

"Are you positive that it's a girl?" asked Tracy.

Hallie nodded. "I just know."

"Well, I'm excited about it. Wait, how will you explain that lack of a father?"

"I'll just say that it was a sperm donation. Besides, I didn't have a father either when I grew up," replied Hallie.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."'

"It's okay, Tracy. Alex and Carla are my parents now, and you can't get much better than them!"

"Well, I'm going to get some more lamb before the Captain eats it all. I'm afraid that Stefanos may have created a monster. He'll have the engineers making him one of those bike-spits before the end of deployment!" exclaimed Tracy.

"Will that be legal?" asked Hallie.

"Sure, just as long as they paint it haze-gray, to match the rest of the ship!" Tracy got up and headed over to get some more food.

Hallie felt a warm feeling of satisfaction inside. She had helped Tracy become the woman she should have been from birth. Unfortunately, she didn't have time to dwell on these thoughts, as she had to go to the bathroom. She had read online about how she would need to go more frequently; still, knowing didn't make it any better!

Chapter Fifty-Three

Later in the evening, Hallie was helping the others clean up from the feast. Everyone agreed that it was one of the best meals they had ever had.

"Too bad my cooks weren't here, they could have learned a thing or two from you," quipped Maria.

"Oh, I'm not so sure. I only cook a meal like this every few years. They have to cook for a whole crew every day!" replied Carla.

"Cook? Is that what they call what they do to the food?" piped in one of the officers.

"One more word out of you LT Schmidt and I'll see that you do every meal eval for the rest of the deployment!" snapped Maria. She then turned and grinned at Carla. "Every meal for the crew must be sampled by an officer, we call it a meal eval."

Carla smiled. "I'm impressed with how you don't take any crap from the crew."

"It was hard at first. But they know when I'd kidding, and when I'm not. We only have six female officers on the ship, and I'm the most senior, even though I'm not a Line officer."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Carla.

"I'm the supply officer, and while I'm a department head, I'm not considered to be a warfare officer, like the Captain or Tracy."

"Oh, I suppose that the navy has a reason for what they do," replied Carla. "By the way, what do you think of Tracy, professionally?"

"She's good. The crew likes and trusts her. I've seen a real change in her this deployment; it's like she's more comfortable with herself, if that makes sense?"

Carla smiled. "It does. I've seen the same change in our grad students."

"I overheard a conversation between Hallie and Sarah. I understand that Hallie is a month pregnant. Just between you and me, was it one of our officers?" whispered Maria.

Carla shook her head. "No, and the pregnancy is her choice."

Maria looked over at Hallie and saw her with Kim, who had her arm around Hallie's waist.

"Oh…well, they make a nice couple," replied Maria. She then looked over at Tracy.

"Don't worry about Tracy, she's just a friend. I know how the military frowns on the LBGT."

Maria nodded. "Sorry, but even a rumor can hurt someone's career."

"Trust me, Hallie and Kim are devoted to each other. Kim's brother is in the Coast Guard, so she knows the rules. Neither would jeopardize Tracy's career. They're just good friends."

"I'm glad to hear that. Sorry for prying," apologized Maria.

"Nothing to apologize for, you're just looking out for one of your own, just like me."

Maria laughed. "How true. Now, when we back to states, I'd love to show you how we do a barbecue in Texas."

"I'd like that."

A short time later the last of the officers of the Churchill left for the ship. They were getting underway the next morning. Tracy waved goodbye from the back of the van, as they drove away.

"I'll miss her," remarked Hallie. "Part of her is still inside me."

"I lied to Maria. She asked me if one of the crew got you pregnant. I told her no. Technically, that's true, since they have no history of Tyler. Besides, if I told her Tracy got you pregnant, it would have totally confused her. She would have to press charges against Tracy for having sex with another woman," explained Carla.

Hallie and Kim started laughing hard.

Stefanos was lying on a beach chair, with Artemis on his chest. Theon was sitting next to him, finishing up a bottle of wine.

"Papa, I wonder what's so funny? I can't figure out those two," remarked Theon in Greek, referring to Kim and Hallie.

Stefanos shrugged his shoulders. "As I heard one of the workmen say on the site the other day, "It's all American to me.'"

Theon starting laughing hard, joined by Stefanos, whose laughter disturbed Artemis, who leapt to the ground to seek a quieter nap spot.

Chapter Fifty-Four

The work on the site didn't start up again until after lunch. Hallie worked in silence in the museum. Carla finally turned to her. "Okay, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, why do you ask?"

Carla just stared at Hallie.

"Okay. I guess I'm a little down. Don't get me wrong, I'm totally happy for Tracy, but it doesn't seem fair that I didn't get the same deal. Granted my parents and I were never close, but now I'm going to be forced to push us further apart. They might overlook the fact that I look different, but they can't ignore the fact that I'm pregnant. I'd like my baby to be able to know at least one pair of her grandparents."

"Well, you do have a lot on your mind."

"Carla, I love you and Alex. You've shown me more love in the past year than my birth parents have in the past ten. I know it's silly, but I still feel something for them. I should just forget about them and move on, but I can't. I guess that makes me stupid."

"No, it makes you very human. Look, I don't have any simple solutions. Do you think your parents could handle the truth?"

Hallie shook her head. "As far as my mom is concerned, there's no way. She's not an intellectual person. Dad on the other hand might accept it, except I'm afraid he's make a movie out of my life."

Carla nodded.

"Thanks for letting me vent a little. I love you." Hallie then hugged Carla. She tried to hold in her emotions, but it was too much, and soon tears began to flow down her cheeks.

"It's okay, my dear. Let it out," comforted Carla.

A few minutes later Hallie was whipping her eyes. "Thank you, that felt much better."

"Hallie, Carla, come out here," yelled Alex.

"You okay?" asked Carla.

Hallie nodded and they walked outside.

"Stefanos brought the aerial photos of the area," announced Alex.

"I have the topographical maps too," added Stefanos.

They spread the photos out on the picnic table. Alex aligned the photos with the hills. "Okay, here's the museum and the temple site." He pointed to the temple.

"What're we looking for?" asked Lane.

"Anything that looks like it would have been used by the Minoans," answered Hallie.

They studied the photos for nearly an hour, and nothing stood out. She looked at the map and then up at the hills above the temple site.

"It's probably something so obvious that we're overlooking it," remarked a frustrated Hallie.

"Then again there might not be anything here for us to find," added Lane.

"No, it's here. We just haven't found it," retorted Hallie.

"Hallie, I have a question. This cult was partially a fertility cult, correct?" asked Alex.

Hallie nodded.

"We also assume that this site wasn't picked out of random, correct?" asked Alex.

Hallie began to smile. "What do you see?"

"At the risk of being seen as slightly crude, what does this area look like to you?" asked Alex, pointing to the photo. It showed the hills behind the temple.

"Nothing, just hills and scrub brush," answered Lane.

"Try looking at it from this way," stated Alex, as he turned the photo around.

Hallie looked at it. At first she didn't see what Alex was talking about. Then it jumped out at her. "Oh, my God! There it is!" She pointed to the photo.

The two hills that rose behind the temple formed a natural depression between them. It served as a water collection point and it was covered in dense brush. Due to the layout of the land the plant growth looked a vagina.

Hallie turned around and looked up at the tall hill in front of the temple. "You could see this from up there!"

"I'll be damned!" exclaimed Stefanos. "You know the hills behind the temple have always been known as the 'Goddesses' Cleft.' I never understood why until now."

"I imagine that there's something up there," pointing to the cleft," stated Hallie.

"Also up there too," added Alex, pointing to the hill in front of the temple. "We'll hike up there tomorrow. It should give us a good look of the valley and possible sites for those other structures you think used to be here, Hallie."

"Do you think we'll find anything?" asked Kim.

"We won't know until we get up there," replied Alex, with a smile.

"If we find something up there, will it be enough to stop the hotel?" asked Hallie.

"Maybe," replied Stefanos. "The problem is that Crete has many historical sites. Unless it is shown to be unique, they might decide to go ahead with the hotel."

Chapter Fifty-Five

The following morning Alex, Kim, and Hallie hiked up the hill. They started early to beat the heat. Half way up they came across a well-worn path.

"It looks like a goat path," noted Alex.

"It looks like it goes right up to the top, we might as well use it, beats walking through the brush," suggested Kim.

The path was very narrow, but it did make the hike easier and soon they reached the top of the hill. As hoped it offered them a great view of the valley and the hills behind the temple.

"Judging by the plant growth, I'd say that no one has been up in a long time," remarked Alex, as he took a drink of water.

Hallie looked over at the hills behind the temple. "It does sort of look like a vagina. The brush looks like pubic hair." She began to take photographs of the hills. Kim videotaped the area.

"Look around. If this was used as a religious site then there should be remnants of firepits," stated Alex.

After searching for almost an hour they found what might have been a Minoan firepit. Alex had brought a camping saw with him and cut down the brush that surrounded it.

"The Minoans used these for sacrifices, they would burn clay figurines and tablets inscribed in Linear A. If this was used by the cult, then there might be tablets in Linear H too," explained Alex.

In twenty minutes he had cleared the area of brush. "Kim, hand me your shovel," asked Alex.

He gently began to scrape away the dirt. "If this was a firepit, we should find a thick ash level."

"Do you want me to do that?" asked Hallie, watching Alex dig.

Alex shook his head. "I actually enjoy this, it reminds me of my early days digging for arrowheads as a kid."

Kim and Hallie stood by anxiously as Alex hug.

"Look, there's ash here!" exclaimed Alex.

Kim and Hallie knelt down and looked at the hole he had dug. Hallie took photos of the hole and the ash.

"The ash level isn't that deep, telling me that this wasn't used for very long. I imagine they moved their rituals down to the valley or to the hills across the way," stated Alex.

"Do we continue to excavate this pit?" asked Kim.

"No, we can come back. Look, here's a fragment of a clay tablet," stated Alex, as he held out his hand.

"If we're allowed to come back," sighed Hallie.

"This combined with the temple and the bath should give us time to search the rest of the valley floor," stated Alex.

"Can we search the hills behind the temple tomorrow?" asked Hallie.

"Maybe, from the looks of it, it will take more than one day to search. It's also a lot steeper than this hill."

"I agree. If there is a cave, I doubt it will be easy to spot," noted Kim.

"Still, I'd like to go up there and look around," stated Hallie.

"We still have a lot of work on the site, but I think we can find the time later this week to explore the hills," added Alex. "Pack up the gear and let's head down."

They followed the goat path down to the road. It came out in the valley near the temple site.

"I wonder why how we didn't see that path before," remarked Kim.

Stefanos was pleased that they found the pit at the top. "I also have some good news. We've just about got the bath cleared out."

They walked over to the bath and saw that there was only a small amount of sediment left inside it. The drainage channels were also cleared of dirt.

"All we need to do is turn on the water now!" quipped Kim.

"The pipe is filled with sediment. I imagine the water source dried up centuries ago anyway," added Stefanos.

"I can't imagine the about of work that went into carving something like that," exclaimed Alex.

"The tile work along the edge appears to be Greek. So, I'd say that the bath was in use for many years after the Minoans," noted Stefanos.

Hallie excused herself and used the port-a-john. She was happy that she had been able to hold it the whole trip up and down the hill.

After lunch she joined Carla in the museum to work on the fresco.

"It's really coming together nicely," remarked Carla.

Hallie nodded, she was working on a line in Linear A.

"Lydia stopped by, while you were up on the hill. She just wanted to confirm your appointment for tomorrow," stated Carla.

"What time again?" asked Hallie, without looking up.

"Ten. Do you want me to go along?" asked Carla.

Hallie looked up. "Yes, please. I'd like that."

Carla nodded. "How're you feeling today?"

"Physically, okay. Mentally, I'm still a bit of a mess. The reality that I'm pregnant is starting to sink in. So far, all I've had to deal with are some minor inconveniences, but soon I'll be able to see the physical changes. Then, there's the birth and the raising of the baby, pre-school, kindergarten, elementary school, high school, dating, college…."

Carla laughed. "I'm sorry, dear, but let's not get too far ahead of ourselves."

Hallie smiled back. "You're right. I've just got a lot on my mind. I still have two years of school left. Then there are the Guardians. I know that they're not done with us."

"Just remember that you're not alone," reminded Carla.

"Thanks for reminding me! Hey, I just finished another line!"

"Let me see. 'Honor the goddesses' who have blessed this sacred place,'" read Carla.

"Very good, your knowledge of the various languages has gotten really good!"

"Well, thank you, Professor!" replied Carla with a laugh.

"Now, we need to find this phrase in the other two languages."

Two hours later they had almost finished the line in Linear H.

"That's enough for today. We can finish this line tomorrow," stated Carla.

They walked outside and found the others also cleaning up.

"I'm going to look at the bath," stated Hallie. She walked around to the bath and found that it was totally cleaned out of sediment. On a whim, she stepped inside the tub and looked up into the pipe. Stefanos was right it was filled with sediment. She poked her finger into the pipe and scraped away a piece of the sediment. She was about to toss it away, when she decided to look at it again. It was different from the sediment in the tub, not just in color, but in the way it felt. Something was odd, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"Hallie, come on, we're going!" cried Kim.

Hallie stepped out of the tub and walked over to the others, still examining the sediment from the pipe.

Chapter Fifty-Six

Hallie nervously fidgeted in the waiting room of the doctor's office.

Carla reached over and took her by the hand. "Relax."

"I wish I could. I just hate doctor's exams," replied Hallie.

"You're lucky, Dr Leandros is the best doctor in Crete," remarked Lydia. "I've been seeing her for years."

A few minutes later Hallie was led in for examination. Lydia was right about Dr. Leandros, Hallie felt right at ease with her.

"Do you have a doctor back in the states?" asked Dr. Leandros.

"Just a general practitioner. I've been researching online several doctors in my health plan," replied Hallie.

"I'll give you a copy of your exam, make sure you give it to your doctor. Everything appears to be normal. How much longer will you be here?"

"A few more weeks."

"If you have any problems don't hesitate to call me. I'm also giving you this list of vitamins you should be taking. I'm pleased that you don't smoke. Do you drink?"

"A little wine," confessed Hallie.

"No alcohol is best, but if you do continue to drink, do it in moderation."

"Okay. Anything else?"

Dr. Leandros talked to Hallie for another half hour on diet and things she could do to minimize morning sickness.

As they left the office Hallie felt a little less stressed about her pregnancy.

"See, I told you she was good!" stated Lydia.

Hallie nodded.

"You want to eat here in town before going back?" asked Lydia.

"Sure," replied Hallie.

Carla nodded in agreement.

They drove over to Lydia's club. Hallie noted a framed photo of the USS Winston Churchill behind the bar.

"A souvenir from the party?" asked Hallie pointing to the photo.

Lydia nodded. "Normally, I don't like sailors in my club, but they were very well behaved."

Over lunch they talked about Theon and Lane.

"I'm still stunned that she's marrying him," stated Hallie.

"The good thing is that Theon has stopped criticizing Stefanos for dating me," remarked Lydia. "I think he was envious of his father."

Carla and Hallie laughed.

"Still, it is very surprising that Lane would toss away her career, just like that," continued Lydia.

"I agree," stated Hallie.

"So are you and Stefanos going to get married?" asked Carla.

"We've talked about it. I'd love to get married, but I think that Stefanos is content with the status quo."

Hallie nodded. "True, he's even got a cat now!"

"Oh, that cat! He treats it like it was his child. I'd be angry, but she's a sweet cat,' laughed Lydia.

"She is nice," added Hallie, thinking about how Artemis alerted the Guardians.

Chapter Fifty-Seven

Hallie woke up early the next morning with another dose of morning sickness. Thankfully, it wasn't as bad as earlier. She looked at her watch and saw that it was only 6:30. Going back to bed lost the debate, so she went down to the site instead.

A short time later she rode her bike into the site area. With Konstantin out of the way, Hallie didn't have any worries. On a whim, she walked over to the bath and stared at the pipe. She climbed into the tub and poked at the sediment that was clogging the pipe. She picked out another piece and ran it between her fingers. It didn't feel like the dirt that had once filled the tub. Instead there was an almost rubbery consistency to it.

She sat on the edge of the tub, running it through her fingers, thinking about what this meant. She then walked over to the tool shed and took out a small drill and a toolbox.

Hallie climbed into the tub and carefully she drilled into the center of the sediment in the pipe. She looked through the toolbox until she found what she was looking for. It was a very long thin screw. Alex had told her that it could be used to check sediment layers. However Hallie had a different idea for its use.

She slowly and carefully twisted the screw into the hole she had drilled. Thankfully, the pipe had a long straight section. However Hallie was careful not to damage the pipe.

The next step was tricky. Hallie carefully pulled on the screw. She didn't want to force anything and risk damaging the pipe. She was about to give up when she felt the sediment move. Carefully she pulled on the screw and the sediment plug slipped out of the pipe. Hallie looked at the plug, it wasn't naturally formed, as it was a combination of dirt and what looked like some sort of natural resin.

Hallie was so busy studying the plug that she didn't initially notice the drop of water that came out of the pipe. She sat on the edge of the tub and began to study the plug with a magnifying glass. It was definitely manmade. Someone had plugged the tub, but who? she wondered.

By now several drops of water had dripped out of the pipe. Their pace was slowly. Hallie stood up and began to carry the tools back to the shed. She made two trips and when she returned for the drill and the plug she saw the water, now a small trickle filling he tub. She knelt down and ran her hand under the water flow. The water was warm! She lifted her hand up to her nose and smelled the water. There was no aroma, but when she tasted it, she could taste the minerals. The flow was gradually increasing, slowly filling up the tub.

She fumbled for her radio and called back to the house. She reached Carla first.

"Carla, I'm down at the site and guess what! I unplugged the pipe and guess what? Water is flowing into the tub!"

"What?" exclaimed Carla.

"There's a very slight trickle, but it's definitely mineral water!"

"We'll be there shortly."

Hallie stared at the flow of water and tried to estimate how long it would take to fill the tub. At it's present flow it would take several hours. Another idea struck her and she inserted the plug back into the pipe. It slid in easily and stopped the flow of water. She pulled it back out and the water flow continued. The combination of the sediment and the resin made a great natural plug. She set it next to the edge of the tub. For now she'd let the tub fill.

She stood up and stared up into hills. Somewhere up there was the source of the water. Kim and Alex were right; it would take weeks, if not months to search those hills. Still she wanted to look for the water source and the cave. There had to be a cave there, she thought.

Hallie sat and watched the water slowly fill the tub. The flow had increased slightly, but it was still little more than a trickle.

The SUVs pulled into the parking area, spitting gravel. In a moment Alex, Carla, Stefanos, Theon, Lane, and Kim were staring at the water filling the ancient tub.

Theon began to take photographs, as Hallie explained what she had done.

Stefanos looked at the plug. "It's amazing, it's still soft and pliable."

"While I'm not happy that you took this step on your own, I'm too stunned to be angry at you," remarked Alex.

"I can't explain it, I just knew that I wouldn't damage it," replied Hallie.

"We need to go public with this, Papa. We can argue that any construction might damage the water supply," stated Theon.

"I'll call the museum and then my friend in the government," stated Stefanos. "Hallie, this should be enough to save the site from the hotel!"

"And that will give us time to do a good survey of this valley for any other remains," added Alex.

Hallie felt like jumping up and yelling, but decided to hold in her joy until it was confirmed that the site was saved.

"So, when it fills up are you going to take a soak?" whispered Kim to Hallie.

"Been there, done that," replied Hallie. She then began to laugh.

"Well, we better continue with the dig. I'm sure Stefanos will let us know as soon as the he knows something," stated Alex.

"I can have a crew here from National Geographic in two days. I've been hinting to them that we were onto something big," commented Theon.

"Would we get out photos in the magazine?" asked Kim.

Theon laughed. "Of course! But I'm not just talking about the magazine, they might even send out a TV crew!"

Kim began to hum the theme from the National Geographic TV shows and Hallie and Lane joined her.

Carla and Alex just shook their heads and laughed.

A few minutes later Stefanos walked over and told them the good news. "The government is filing an immediate restraining order to stop any construction work in this valley!"

"Really?" asked an excited Hallie.

"Yes. The Minister of Culture's office is very interested in protecting important sites. I told them about the fresco and the bath. I also mentioned a possible peak ritual site above the valley. They're sending down a representative. He'll be here tomorrow."

"Did you tell them about the message in the fresco?" asked Carla.

"No. I'm saving that when they get here. Theon, you're in charge of the notifying the press."

"Will we still be able to work here, or will it be turned over to others?" asked Hallie.

"I will argue that you all should be allowed to continue your work here. What will really help is that Alex has a great reputation with the Ministry of Culture," stated Stefanos.

"Good. I want to be able to continue working here," stated Hallie.

"Me too," added Kim.

"I don't see any problem from the University. In fact, I think they'll jump to be part of this excavation. You should be able to write an excellent paper on this site and the Minoan languages and culture. I'll even wager that you could get your doctorates from studying this site."

Hallie and Kim turned to Lane. "You're included in this if you want," offered Hallie.

Lane smiled and shook her head. "My interest in archeology is only that of a hobby. I'm more interested in raising a family."

Hallie nodded in silence, she couldn't believe that this was the same person who had raped her in the name of science the previous summer.

 

Chapter Fifty-Eight

Hallie spent the rest of the morning working in the museum. While Carla spent the morning on reassembling the fresco, Hallie created a chart of the three languages.

"I can't just say that the reason I know that our translations are correct is because I was transformed by a mystical Minoan relic," stated Hallie as she worked.

"Why not?" quipped Carla.

"The fortunate thing is that I've been keeping pretty notes," replied Hallie. She closed the notebook. "I still feel funny about taking credit for translating these languages."

"Hallie, the Guardians gave you the basic knowledge. It was up to you to do something with it. If this was so easy, then why isn't the fresco reassembled by now?" asked Carla.

"I guess you're right. I'm going to check on the bath, I'll be back in a few minutes."

Hallie walked over to the bath. The level of the water was almost to the edge. Hallie noticed that the water was coming out at increased rate.

"I can't wait to see what happens when it starts to overflow," remarked Stefanos, as he walked up behind her.

"It should flow through this channel and drain down that way," stated Hallie, pointing to the stone channel.

"Yes, but can you imagine the workmanship that went into this? The stone carvers had to cut the exact correct depth so that the water would flow down to the drainage area."

"What will happen to this?"

"They'll have to leave it here. The risk of damaging it by moving it would be too great. I imagine that they'll build a structure over it, much like the ones in Santorini."

"When will you start the survey of the valley?"

"I'll wait until spring. We'll bring in that radar again and map out the whole valley floor."

"If I remember right, I'd start over there," stated Hallie pointing towards the right.

Stefanos nodded. "I still want to make one of those dream journeys."

"I hope they take you on one some day too," replied Hallie. "What do we do about the dildo?"

"It's yours. It would only end up collecting dust in some museum. You can put it to good use."

"You sure? It's an important relic."

Stefanos shook his head. "That may be, but after seeing you change Tyler, it should be with you. I don't believe that the Guardians are deities, but they obviously have plans for you. I expect that you'll meet others who are in pain."

Hallie looked at him and smiled. "I'm kinda stunned how logically you can explain all this."

He shrugged his shoulders. "I've never closed my mind to the magic that exists out there. I'm a man of science, but I've seen things that science cannot explain. Does that mean science is wrong? No. It just means that there are things that we haven't found the answers to. I like that. I don't want to be in a world with all the answers. Can you imagine how boring that would be?"

Hallie laughed. "You're right. I have another question for you…."

"I know what you're going to ask and the answer is yes! In fact I would be deeply hurt if you and Kim didn't stay with me," interrupted Stefanos. "I look forward to seeing your daughter."

Hallie hugged him. "Thank you. I just wanted to be sure."

"Lydia and I have already talked about expanding one of the guest cottages for you."

Hallie raised an eyebrow. "Does that mean that Lydia will be moving in soon?"

Stefanos looked around. "Please keep it a secret, but we're going to announce our engagement later this week."

Hallie hugged him again. "I promise."

"Look!" exclaimed Stefanos.

Hallie looked over at the tub and watched as the water began to pour over the edge and drain down the run-off channel.

"That's amazing!"

Hallie knelt down and put her hand into the tub. "It's warm."

Stefanos nodded. "Must be a hot spring up in the hills."

"Should we plug it up?" asked Hallie.

He shook his head. "Let it run. There are centuries of sediment that need to flush out. The water is still quite murky. We'll check it in the morning," replied Stefanos. "In fact, I think you should check it early tomorrow. A hot mineral bath would do you some good."

"You wouldn't mind?" asked Hallie.

"Who am I to object? Do you think your Guardians would mind?"

Hallie shrugged her shoulder. "I don't think they'd mind."

"Well, we better get back to work. We have to be ready for tomorrow's visit."

Chapter Fifty-Nine

 

Hallie woke up Kim early. "Hey, you want to go check out the bath?"

Kim yawned and tried to rub the sleep out her eyes. "What time is it?"

"Six," replied Hallie. "I want to check it out before the others get up. Besides, it could be out last chance. If the site is declared protected they might not like us using it."

Kim nodded.

"I have your swimsuit right here," stated Hallie.

"Okay, but what about breakfast?"

"I packed a picnic breakfast for us," replied Hallie. There was a big grin on her face.

A short time later they arrived at the site on their bikes. As expected it was deserted. They parked their bikes and walked over to the bath.

"Look, the water is so clear now," observed Hallie.

There was steam rising from the bath. Kim stuck her toe in it. "Oooh, that feels nice!"

After undressing to their bathing suits, they slowly eased into the tube. Hallie felt goosebumps form on her body as she slowly entered the bath. In moment she was sitting in the tub across from Kim.

"You were right, this is fantastic!" remarked Kim. "Thank you for waking me up for this."

"I thought you'd like it." Hallie then ran her hands over the tile edge. "I don't like this. I wonder who added the tiles?"

"Alex thinks it's Roman. They would have loved finding a bath here," replied Kim.

"What time are the bigwigs arriving?" asked Hallie.

"Stefanos said right after lunch."

"I guess we won't be able to head up into the hills until tomorrow. I just know something is up there."

"I'm sure you're right. But even if we don't find it this trip, it looks like we'll be coming back."

"I know. I think it will be really cool excavating this entire site."

"Especially if Alex can get us the grant. It would be really cool to be paid to excavate this site!"

"Money isn't everything," replied Hallie.

"Maybe, but we're soon going to have a family to support."

Hallie nodded and ran her hands instinctively across her belly.

"I just wish I knew how I can slip this by my parents. My mother won't be a problem, she has pushed herself away from me ever since I told her that I was Hallie."

"But you want to tell your dad?"

Hallie nodded. "I think he'd like the idea that he's going to be a grandfather. But that's out of the question. Speaking of families, when do you plan on telling yours?"

"When we get back. They'll love the idea. Mom said that she didn't mind me being a lesbian, but she still wanted grandchildren to spoil."

Hallie laughed. "One thing. We need to see a lawyer, so you have legal status with our baby."

Kim smiled back.

"Seriously. I consider us a couple, but for our daughter's sake we need to make it legal."

"I know, I just like the idea of you calling her our baby!" replied Kim, who leaned over and kissed Hallie.

"Well, we better get out before the others arrive. I feel totally re-energized!" stated Hallie.

"Me too." Stated Kim. "I wonder if the there is really something in the water?"

They got out and dried off. They changed in the museum and sat down outside and had a light breakfast. A short time later the other arrived.

"I thought we'd find you here," stated Stefanos. There was a big smile on his face.

"You should try the bath, it feels wonderful," suggested Hallie.

"Maybe later," replied Stefanos. "My friend from the Culture Ministry will be here by lunch. His name is Dr. Peter Roussos and yes, he can be trusted."

"What about the Russians?" asked Carla.

"Their lawyer will be arriving at the same time," answered Stefanos.

"So, we still have time to work!" stated Alex, with a smile.

Hallie nodded and walked over to the museum. "Hallie, Carla, I want to get some photos of you working on the fresco," stated Theon.

"Sure. Just make sure you get a photo of our supervisor!" answered Hallie.

"I've already got photos of Alex," replied Theon.

"I think she's talking about Artemis. She sits on the file cabinet all day and watches us," added Carla.

Theon laughed. "That's perfect. National Geographic loves those kind of photos!"

Over the next hour Theon photographed the fresco.

"I suppose you're surprised about Lane and I getting married," stated Theon, as he took a photo of a sleeping Artemis.

"Surprised? No, stunned is a better word!" replied Hallie.

Theon laughed. "I must admit that I'm a little shocked myself. What can I say? It was love at first site. The minute I saw here I knew she'd be my wife."

"We wish you the best," stated Carla.

Chapter Sixty

Dr. Peter Roussos arrived at the site with several assistants and lawyers. A second car brought the lawyer for the Russians.

Stefanos greeted Peter like he was an old friend, which in fact he was. Peter was tall and thin, with a narrow face. He had a well-trimmed moustache that Hallie thought made him look like a French waiter.

Peter turned to Stefanos. "I wanted to see what you have here before I called in the press. I see that your son is here. I suppose he's working on an article."

"Yes, he's been documenting the dig for us for National Geographic. I think you've heard of them," replied Stefanos with a grin.

Peter cracked a small smile. "You haven't changed one bit."

"I believe you've met Dr. Alex Pappadimos and his wife Dr. Carla Pappadimos," stated Stefanos.

"Yes, it is good to see you again," greeted Peter. "Oh, please forgive me, this is Mr. Marcus Dimas, he's the lawyer for the hotel."

Hallie looked at the lawyer. He was wearing an expensive suit and appeared to very uncomfortable in the midday heat. Hallie guessed he was in his forties. He was only five-eight and was slightly overweight.

"I want to see why this site is so important! Why has it been stopping the construction of a major hotel!" demanded Marcus. He took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"You're Greek?" asked Stefanos.

"Yes, but I work for the firm that wants to build the hotel here. So far I don't see anything here of any importance!"

"What an asshole," whispered Kim to Hallie.

"Well, that is up to me to decide," stated Peter.

"Let me introduce the rest of my team," remarked Alex, as he introduced Kim, Lane, Hallie, and Theon to Peter and Marcus.

"What do you want to see first?" asked Stefanos.

Peter cocked his head. "I suspect that you have a few surprises for me, so why don't you just show us around."

Stefanos nodded and began to show the group the site. He pointed out the peak and the newly discovered firepit. He showed them the around the dig and then he showed them the bath.

Peter's eyes opened up wide. He crouched down by the edge and dipped his hand into the warm water. "This is amazing!"

"Our surveys stated that there might be a hot spring in these hills. We're planning on making it part of our spa," noted Marcus.

"Apparently, the Minoans beat you to the punch by a few thousand years," noted Peter.

"There's something inside that you'll want to see," commented Stefanos.

"I've seen the fresco before. Remember it was my decision that it stayed here and wasn't moved to a bigger museum," replied Peter.

Stefanos just nodded. "Come with me."

Peter followed Stefanos into the museum and stared at the nearly completed fresco. His eyes were initially fixated on the completed image of the priestesses and the male.

"I never would have guessed that it would look like this," noted Peter. "Who did the restoration?" asked Peter.

"That would be Carla and Hallie," answered Stefanos.

"Alex, Lane, and Kim, did the excavation of the missing pieces," added Hallie.

"Remarkable job. I'm pleased to see that it is restored," noted Peter.

"Look here," interrupted Hallie, pointing to the nearly completed triple passages under the image.

Peter looked down and then took off his glasses with trembling hands and wiped them clean. He slipped them back on and stared at the writing.

"Do…do you know what this is?" he asked incredulously.

Hallie nodded. "It's a blessing in Linear A, Linear B, and a new Minoan Language. It's the Rosetta Stone of the Minoan languages."

"We call the new language Linear H, in honor of Hallie, who discovered it. She's also found it on several other Minoan objects of this period," interrupted Stefanos.

"This is… this is a monumental discovery!" exclaimed Peter.

"We think this was a temple of a religious cult. We also believe that the valley will have other sites related to the cult," continued Hallie. She figured to go for broke and tell Peter everything that she could.

Peter was still staring at the blessing. His eyes ran back and forth over the different passages. "This site must be protected."

"I object. You're going to stop my clients from building their hotel over a perverted painting and some chicken scratched?"

"Mr. Dimas, if studied your country's history you'll know how important this fresco is," stated Peter, without looking up from the fresco.

"My clients won't like this!" exclaimed Marcus, as he wiped more sweat from his brow.

"By the way, did the police ever find Konstantin and his associates?" asked Stefanos.

Peter looked up from the fresco. "Yes, I've been wanting to ask you about that."

"I have no idea where Mr. Jaeger and his employees are," replied a nervous Marcus.

"I understand that there are a multitude of charges awaiting him, should he show up," added Stefanos.

"You can't hold that against us. We sighed a lease for the use of this land and we'll fight any action to stop us!"

"You'll be compensated for the lease, but this valley has too much historical significance to allow a road to be put here," stated Peter.

"Is that you opinion?" asked Marcus angrily.

"No. It is the decision of The Ministry of Culture," replied a slightly annoyed Peter.

Marcus stood there for a moment before stomping out. He glared at them and then walked over to his car, followed by his assistants.

"Enough of him! Hallie, can I see your notes on this new language?" asked Peter, as he rolled up his sleeves and removed his tie. He sat down in front of the fresco on one of the work stools.

Hallie nodded and handed Peter her notes.

Peter turned to his assistants. "I'm going to stay here for a while. Call Athens and tell them I'll have a report for them this afternoon. Also set up a press conference for tomorrow morning, if that's okay with you Stefanos?"

He nodded. "Theon will help you with anything you need."

Peter turned to Hallie and smiled. "Now, tell me about Linear H."

Chapter Sixty-One

That night after dinner many a toast was made on the patio of Stefanos home. Stefanos had brought out several bottle of champagne to celebrate. There was a toast to the engagement of Theon and Lane. There was a toast to the engagement of Lydia and Stefanos. There was a toast to Hallie's baby. And last but not least, there was a toast to the preservation of the valley.

Peter called Athens later that afternoon and an immediate injunction was filed to protect the valley. Stefanos was appointed as the lead archeologist for the site. He immediately sighed on Alex.

"I expect to hear back from Ohio State tomorrow. I fully expect that they'll jump at the opportunity to support the dig," announced Alex.

"Even though the official word won't be made until tomorrow, I've been swamped with calls about the fresco. We've had to assign a fulltime police guard at the site," stated Peter.

"No more baths for now, I guess," quipped Hallie.

"National Geographic is sending in a production team to film the site," added Theon.

Hallie was suddenly filled with apprehension. A lot of publicity was the last thing she wanted in her life. Someone would make the connection between her and her famous father, and then what.

"I think I'm going to go bed early tonight. I'm feeling really tired," stated Hallie.

A short time later she was in bed, staring at the ceiling. She didn't consider what she was about to do praying, it was just that she needed to talk to the Guardians. "I've never asked for much since I was transformed. I've accepted my fate and moved on. But I can't be exposed. I could live with it, but it would cause pain to people I care deeply about. I don't know if you can hear me. But I'd really like to talk to you."

She lay there for a moment and sighed. A few minutes later fatigue and the champagne took their toll and she fell into a deep sleep.

Chapter Sixty-Two

Hallie woke and found herself sitting by the edge of the sea. She could feel the sand under her bare feet. It then hit her that she was on another dream journey. There was the familiar sense of stillness that preceded the arrival of the Guardians. Hallie looked up and saw the three blue entities approaching. They set down in front of her and morphed into human form. They looked like Minoan priestesses.

"You have questions, little one?" asked one of the Guardians.

Hallie nodded. "You know what's happening?"

The Guardians nodded in unison. "Yes, the valley will be protected."

"Yes. That's wonderful, but I have a problem."

"You're talking about your identity?"

"Yes! I understand my status, but life is more complex today."

"We understand," replied the Guardians in unison.

"I don't mind helping others. But I have others to think of," stated Hallie, as she wrapped her hands around her belly.

"There is a way. Are you sure you want us to change your history?" asked the lead Guardian.

"Will it be like what happened to Tracy?" asked Hallie. "I like who I am, I just want a past to match it."

"Yes. Do you have anyone that you want to know your original past?"

Hallie nodded. "Kim, Carla, Alex, Stefanos, and Tracy."

"Those are good choices. You have surrounded yourself with superior friends."

"Thank you"

"Is there anyone else? What about the one who transformed you?"

"Lane? No, I've forgiven her."

"We have selected a new path for her," stated the lead Guardian.

Hallie raised an eyebrow. "You mean that you're responsible for her romance with Theon?"

"Yes. Lane's a very ambitious and driven person. She needs to refocus that drive into a way that helps people and not hurt them. If she continued on her original path, she would have brought great harm and pain to those around her. Now, she will focus her life into raising her family. She will be very fertile and will have many children to watch over."

Hallie nodded. "Oh, in regards to my identity, can I add others later?"

"You're thinking about the woman Lydia. She is a good choice. She will be added to your circle when you feel the time is ready," stated the Guardian. "Do you have any other questions?"

"How will I know who to help?"

"We will guide you. You have a great gift and you must be careful to only use it for those in true conflict."

"One more thing. I know this sounds frivolous, but could you show Stefanos Minoa?"

The lead Guardian smiled softly. "That can be arranged."

"Thank you."

"When you awake your history will be altered."

Hallie then woke up.

Chapter Sixty-Three

Hallie was sat out on the patio and watched the sun rise over the sea. Her mind was a whirlwind with her new memories. She smiled and admitted that the Guardians had an interesting sense of humor. They had created a personal history that her father would have been hard pressed to create in one of his movies.

The Guardians must have sensed her feelings for her father, as they kept him in her new history. Twenty-four years ago Richard Thorn was in Crete for a movie. He had a fling with a young woman working on the set. She was actually a graduate student working on a nearby dig. However, she had been hired as a translator and had caught Richard's eye. Nine months later Roxanne Pappadimos, niece of Alex Pappadimos died giving birth to Hallie.

Richard took responsibility for his child and attempted to raise her with his second wife. Hallie was a just another thing to argue over and they eventually divorced. The woman drifted out of Hallie's life, not that she was ever really in it. While Richard had good intentions, he knew he couldn't raise Hallie by himself. He later joked that he could barely take care of himself.

One of the good things that Richard had done was maintain contact with Roxanne's family and when Richard was off on location, Hallie stayed with Alex and Carla. Hallie began to see them as secondary parents and when she turned eighteen she legally changed her name to Hallie Thorn Pappadimos.

Hallie thought about the history her Guardians had given her and smiled. She mourned a woman she never met and "remembered" how her father said how much she looked like her mother.

Kim was the first one up. "Hallie, I had the strangest dream last night. I dreamt that you were with the Guardians down on the beach."

Hallie turned and smiled at Kim.

Suddenly Kim realized that it wasn't a normal dream. "Shit! That was another journey….Hallie you have a real history now!"

"I know! I've been sitting here letting it sink in."

One by one, Alex, Carla, and Stefanos joined Hallie and Kim on the patio.

"So, they gave you the option of letting us in on your real life?" asked Alex.

Hallie nodded.

"Thank you for thinking so much of us for including us in your life," he replied.

"I owe you all that much," replied Hallie.

"So, when do I get to visit Minoa?" asked Stefanos, as he passed the carafe of coffee around.

"They didn't give me a reservation, but I trust them. Think of it as rather unique wedding gift."

Stefanos roared in laughter.

"So was there a Roxanne?" asked Hallie.

Alex nodded. "Roxanne was the daughter of my brother. When her parents died she grew up with my family. I always thought of her as more of a little sister. She was killed in a car crash twenty-four years ago right here in Crete."

"Do you have any photos of her?" asked Hallie.

"Yes, They're back home in Columbus," stated Alex.

"I'd love to see them," replied Hallie.

"I love the fact that the Guardians made us really related," remarked Carla.

"Me too!"

"You know, you can tell your father that you're going to have a baby," interjected Kim.

Hallie's eyes lit up. "That's right. He was totally unphased when I told him that I was dating you. He'll be thrilled to hear he's a going to be a grandfather!"

"You can call him this evening. I suggest that we get ready for the press conference," noted Stefanos.

"How should we dress? I'm new to press conferences," asked Kim.

"Just dress as you would for work. The reporters will like that, seeing real working archeologists!" stated Stefanos.

"Too bad we never bought you that fedora, Alex!" quipped Hallie.

"Yes, I'm sure that some of the press think all archeologists dress like Indiana Jones!" joked Alex.

As they changed, Hallie told Kim about Lane.

"Well, that explains it! I figured there had to be something supernatural to turn Lane into June Cleaver!"

Chapter Sixty-Four

The press conference was a success in the fact that it was the final nail into the coffin for the proposed hotel. The fact that the valley was now famous around the world put an unwanted spotlight on the investors, who faded away to invest in another market.

Hallie gave a silent thank you to the Guardians when a reporter from CNN brought up her father. He asked if her father was going to make a movie about the dig.

National Geographic eagerly bought Theon's story and promised to make it the cover feature. They also signed an agreement to make a TV special on the discovery.

Later that evening Hallie called her father and told him about her pregnancy. As expected he was overjoyed and told her that he couldn't wait to spoil his grandchild.

In the remaining days of the dig, Hallie spent all her free time hiking up in the hills searching for a cave that she knew had major significant to the cult. Kim consoled her as they departed Crete. "Hey, if you found it, then you wouldn't have anything to look for next summer!"

Chapter Sixty-Five

Professor Hallie Thorn Pappadimos was packing her backpack for another hike into the hills above the temple she had helped excavate eight years earlier. She looked at the well-worn topographical map of the area. On it were her notes of her search for the missing temple.

Hallie called to her daughter Roxanne. "Annie, are you ready? Aunt Lane will be here soon."

"Yes, Mommy," she replied from her room.

"Where are the twins?" asked Hallie.

"They're with Uncle Stefanos and Artemis' grandkittens."

"Well, I better go rescue him," remarked Hallie, with a big smile. "Come on Annie."

A pretty young girl ran out of her bedroom with her backpack. She had inherited many of her mother's Minoan features, including her long dark reddish brown hair. She immediately gave her mom a huge hug.

Kim was sitting out on the patio with Stefanos. Two five-year-old girls were playing with some black and white kittens. The kittens' mother, Hebe, lounged nearby in the morning sun. Hebe, named after the Greek Goddess of eternal youth, was the daughter of Artemis, who was sleeping in Stefanos' lap. Artemis had gained a nearly legendary reputation as a champion mouser. That skill had apparently been passed down to her offspring and they were much sought after. It was also said that the cats also brought good luck into their home, especially the females.

Hallie crouched down and held out her arms. "Sophie, Tess, come here and give me a hug!"

The twin girls ran over to Hallie, who immediately wrapped her arms around them.

"Mommy, Aunt Lane is taking us to the beach today!" squealed Tess.

"I'm going along too," added Stefanos.

"Who is going to watch you?" asked Kim, with a grin on her face.

"Lydia of course!" replied Stefanos. "Even for Lane, having eight kids to watch is a bit difficult, nine if you include me."

Hallie had told Lydia everything about herself and the cult. Since then Lydia had participated in several transformation ceremonies, replacing Carla, who stated she was getting too old for the ritual.

Hallie nodded. "I'm worn out with these three! I can't imagine having five."

"It'll be six soon. Lane told me that she's expecting again," interjected Kim.

As if on cue, Lane arrived with her gaggle of kids. She was still pretty, but she had never lost the weight she gained from her children. She had told Hallie, that Theon liked her have a little extra weight.

Hallie noted to herself that it was more than "a little extra weight." Lane was at least thirty pound heavier than when they had first met. Still she was happy, so who was Hallie to criticize. However, Hallie was pleased that she had managed to stay fit and trim, after three babies.

"You sure you don't mind watching the girls, Lane?" asked Hallie.

"Oh, Hallie, I love looking after your girls. They're so sweet."

"Kim told me the news, congratulations!" stated Hallie, as she hugged Lane.

"Thank you. I hope this is the last one. Problem is that Theon doesn't believe in birth control in the conventional manner."

"What do you mean?" asked Hallie.

Lane walked over and whispered to Hallie. "His idea of birth control is anal sex. I've never gotten into that. For some reason I associate it with violating someone."

Hallie nodded. Lane no longer had any memories of how she had transformed Hallie. Lane and Theon were never included in the circle of those who knew Hallie's secret.

"Annie, Sophie, Tess, we're leaving now. Do we get a hug first?" asked Kim.

The three little girls ran over and hugged their two mommies.

On the way to the site, Hallie turned to Kim and smiled. "Isn't it wonderful being a mother?"

Kim nodded. "Do you think the guardians would mind if I were to have our next child?"

"You mean that?" asked an excited Hallie.

"Yes. I'm not saying that I want to be like Lane, but I want to experience childbirth. I didn't mind breastfeeding, so I might as well go for the whole thing!"

Kim had assisted Hallie in the breastfeeding of all three of the children. It had really increased the bond between the children and their mothers.

"I don't think they'll mind. I know the girls would love to have another sibling!"

"Our kids are pretty cool," beamed a very proud Kim.

"Yes they are. Oh, I saw the cutest thing last night. Annie was teaching the twins to count in Minoan."

"That doesn't surprise me. Annie already speaks better Minoan than most of my grad students!"

A short time later Hallie and Kim arrived at the site. It had changed greatly in the past eight years. The small museum had been replaced by a state-of-the art exhibition hall and research center. The original temple and bath were covered by an enclosure. To Hallie's delight the water was still flowing into the bath. One of her secret pleasures was slipping into the bath late at night with Kim. Sometimes they even brought the girls with them.

The museum even had a gift shop which helped support the upkeep. In addition to postcards and guidebooks, they stocked small replicas of the fresco. Hallie also pleased to see that they stocked her book there. The book contained a sanitized version of how she discovered and translated the Minoan languages. It had been published in Greek, German, and French. The store also sold DVDs of the National Geographic special about the site. Hallie had to admit that it was pretty cool being in a National Geographic documentary

The original altar had been recovered six years ago by Stefanos. Just as he had said, it had been part of a bar in Souda Bay. The owner gave it up in exchange for a new stereo system and his name on a brass plaque in the museum. Hallie admired the beautiful carving of the labrys on the front of the altar. It would be a real find if they could find the actual ceremonial labrys that she had seen back in Thera.

Hallie reached up and touched the small silver labrys that she always wore around her neck. Kim had originally suggested that she get a tattoo, but Hallie settled on the piece of jewelry instead. A local artisan had made it three years ago in Santorini for Hallie and she rarely took it off. The same artisan had created similar pieces of jewelry for Kim, Carla, and Lydia. As the modern-day priestesses of the cult, Hallie felt they were worthy of wearing the sacred symbol of the Minoans. Hallie had three more copies set aside for her and Kim's daughters; they would be gifts upon their sixteenth birthdays.

Hallie and Kim often discussed when they would tell their daughters the truth about their mothers. Both agreed that they would tell them; there was no reason to hide their heritage. They agreed to wait until they were sixteen. Kim noted that if their girls didn't believe them that the Guardians could always arrange an appropriate dream journey.

The valley floor had revealed several remnants of Minoan age structures. It was now evident that the valley had once been a thriving community. The firepit on the peak also gave up some of its secrets. Several clay tablets in Linear H had been recovered and were now on display in the museum.

"I'm going to check in with Alex," stated Kim.

Alex and Carla had both retired from Ohio State and split their time between Maine, Columbus, and Crete. They were finishing up their third book on the site.

Hallie nodded. "Okay. I'll be back in a few hours."

"Don't be late. Carla's cooking dinner tonight."

"I wouldn't dare be late for one of her meals."

Hallie headed up into the hills and followed familiar trails. She wasn't sure if she would ever find the temple site, but at least it kept her in shape. Another plus was that it gave her time to think.

As she hiked up the trail, she thought about the summer when they decoded the Minoan languages and how she'd met Tracy. Hallie smiled at the fact that LCDR Tracy Clarke had just received orders to be the executive officer of a destroyer. Her career had really taken off since she had been transformed. She was also legally Roxanne's godmother and often sent all sorts of goodies from overseas to the girls. Hallie wondered if Tracy would ever settle down and have a family of her own but she seemed content with her career.

Hallie thought about the others. Since Tracy, Hallie had helped eighteen others find peace. The latest had been one of her undergraduate students back at Ohio State. She never knew when she would get the sign from the Guardians, and had just accepted it as part of her life. Thankfully she didn't have to get pregnant with each of them!

The twins' father had been the tenth person Hallie had transformed. She had met Ed Olsen at a lecture and instantly knew she had to help him. Ella was now living with her husband and two-year-old daughter in Livingston, Montana. Together, they ran a bed and breakfast. Hallie and Kim were planning on visiting them the following summer.

Soon Hallie reached the area she wanted to explore. She started up the hill and began to look for any signs of a cave. The hill was steep, but Hallie was careful and soon she reached the ridge above the valley. She scanned the area with her binoculars. She had a sudden sickening thought that maybe the cave had been sealed by one of the many earthquakes over the centuries, she thought. Then she saw it. The entrance was naturally camouflaged by the surrounding rocks. If she hadn't been on the ridge, she never would have seen it.

Curbing her excitement she eased her way down the hill to the cave. There were the remains of a firepit outside the entrance. Hallie paused only to take out her flashlight. She shined the light into the cave and could see carvings in Linear H on the wall. There was also a labrys carved delicately into the rock above the entrance. It took her a second to realize that this wasn't a temple. It was a burial site. This was where the priestesses of the cult were laid to rest.

Hallie sat outside and debated what to do next. This was obvious a sacred site. She examined the outside of the cave. The entrance wasn't natural. It had been carved to purposely hide it from prying eyes.

Hallie could hear the flow of water coming from inside the cave. The source of the water for the bath must have flowed through the cave. Hallie sat outside the cave for nearly an hour debating whether or not to enter it. It was a real dilemma. The archeologist in her wanted to explore the cave. She was positive that there were incredible discoveries inside the cave, maybe even an actual ceremonial labrys! However she also felt loyalty to the cult. Granted, she was part of the cult and could have been considered a priestess, she didn't feel it was right to enter. She sat down next to the entrance and thought about what to do next. She reached up and began to stroke the labrys that hung around her neck.

Hallie thought everything that had happened to her since that fateful summer in Maine. She had been given a completely new life. She was deeply in love with Kim and had three beautiful children. She also had loving parents, plus a career that she loved and excelled at. Even her birth father was now part of her life. He loved being a grandfather and had had set up college funds for the girls. The Guardians had treated her well and her sense of loyalty to them outweighed her professional ambitions.

"I'll not enter until you give me permission," she stated aloud to the Guardians in Minoan. "I'll also keep this place a secret from all those not associated with my heritage."

Hallie started down the hill, careful not to leave a trail. She was somewhat satisfied that that there was something in the hills. Once she reached the bottom of the hill she looked up. The cave was perfectly hidden; it was unlikely that anyone would spot it from the trail. She could wait until the Guardians gave her permission to enter and she headed back to the dig site.

Hallie found Kim sitting on a bench next to the temple site. She was talking to Alex. She smiled seeing Alex was wearing the fedora that the girls had given him for his last birthday.

"Any luck today?" asked Kim, as Hallie sat down next to her.

Hallie nodded. She then told them about the cave.

"You did the right thing," stated Kim.

"I agree. The cave will still be there, when they give you permission," added Alex.

"I'm just pleased that something is there. I can now concentrate on the excavation of the buildings on the edge of the hill," remarked Hallie.

"Don't forget you owe your editor the final chapters of your book!" added Kim.

"How can I forget? Amelia has been on my case about that for a week!" quipped Hallie. She then stared at a young man walking across the valley. "Who's that?" she asked, as she watched him walk past her.

"That's Chris, he's one of the students from Canada," stated Alex.

Kim cocked her head and stared at Hallie. "Uh oh, I know that look!"

Hallie just smiled back and nodded. "I guess I have someone new to help."

 

The End

  

  

  

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