*****

Renee sighed and looked up from the phone as Steve walked out of her bedroom, carrying his bags. This was his third trip, having come out with several boxes already. Her cat, Kia Ora, wove herself between his feet, but, being used to the cat, he picked his feet up higher and stepped over it. He stopped and watched her walk over to him.

"Steve...I'm so so sorry...I know this is a horrible situation and I would do just about anything to make it up to you-"

He held her by her shoulders at arms length and looked into her swimming emerald eyes. "I'm not going to deny that I'm hurt, I am, but like I said before, I knew it was just a matter of time.
"All I want is for you to be happy and if you're going to be happier with Lucy then by all means go for it."

She smiled at him. "I know you'll find someone that'll make you happier than I could..."

The bar manager returned the smile. "I don't know about that, love," he whispered.

"I'll be 'round in a couple of days to collect those boxes and rest of my stuff."

"Of course...call first to make sure I'm home."

"I will. Bye Ren...take care."

He picked up his suitcases and walked out her front door, giving her one last smile before closing the door behind him. She stood there, staring at the door, confused about all of the different worries and emotions running through her head.

Hardly two seconds later, the door opened again. Steve smiled sheepishly and put his bags back down.

"Uh...heh. You're going to love this. I forgot that Killian dropped me off and he still has my keys.
"Would you mind giving me a lift?"

Renee rubbed her hands over her face, giggled, and grabbed her keys from the table.

"Let's go..."

Instead of returning home right away, Renee took a walk around Auckland. She couldn't stand the thought of going home to an empty (except for Kia Ora) house and be left to her thoughts about Lucy.

She knew what was happening was the right thing. She loved Lucy so much, but she felt bad about Steve. *He'll be so much happier, I know it.
*Besides, Steve's right...how much longer would I have been able to ignore my feelings?*

This comforted her as she strolled through the streets and thought about what she was going to say to her co-star at the cast party.

*****

Lucy glanced at the clock by the computer. *Eight P.M.? And he's still asleep?* She signed off and stood, stretching her muscles and back. *I'll be turning in soon, too...that'll make tomorrow come even quicker.* She smiled, then considered that if she went to bed now, she'd be up early...and if she were up early, she'd probably start feeling tired at the cast party and she definately did not want that.

The raven-haired woman absently flipped through the TV Guide and stopped when she saw something she thought might be good: The X-Files episode titled "The Jersey Devil" which just happened to co-star Claire Stansfield as the Jersey Devil and noticed it was a part of a viewer's choice marathon that also featured the episodes "Squeeze", "Tooms", "Ice", and "Pfaster." She kicked herself for not looking sooner as she noticed that she had just missed watching their pilot episode.

*This should occupy me for a while,* she thought to herself as she turned off the light and snuggled into the comfy white leather chair.

*****

PART FOUR

Rob stood in the doorway to their bedroom, his arms crossed in front of his chest, and studied the sleeping form of his wife in the white leather chair, the TV still on the same channel. It was eleven in the morning the next day.

*Did she sleep out here because she didn't want to sleep with me or because she fell asleep watching the TV...or both?* The producer narrowed his eyes at her, then pushed himself away from the wall he was leaning against and went into the kitchen to make some coffee.

*****

Lucy knew she was being watched, but thought it wiser to pretend that she was still asleep. She woke up when she heard the shower shut off and her husband dress. Usually, he whistled or sang in the shower, but she noticed that today he was quiet.

*Maybe he knows? Naw, he couldn't know, but perhaps he suspects? He probably heard my end of the phone conversation.
*That's going to make the cast party hellish...*

She heard him pour some water into the coffee percolator and decided to wait until the coffee was ready before she would let him know she was awake.

*I don't think he knows it's Renee, but he has a feeling something's going on.*

Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. *Shit...did I delete Renee's call??*

Breathing faster, Lucy realized that she didn't delete the caller ID...and if Rob were to check it, he'd know who it was. As silently as possible, any ambient sounds covered by the percolator and the TV, she got up from the creaking white leather chair and crept over to the caller ID box. She noticed that the green light was still on. *Okay so Rob didn't check the box...so it's still a big question mark.*

Quickly, she deleted the call log.

"Anyone call?"

She winced, but didn't turn towards him. "Nope." *Oh that was smooth, Luce...he probably knows there was a call last night.*

Rob narrowed his eyes again at his wife's back, but didn't want to press the matter. He wanted to catch Lucy and her new man together and the cast party would be the most opportune time to do so.

"Oh. Would you like some coffee? I think we should be in the convention room at the hotel by around one thirty or so to make sure everything is set up properly."

Finally, Lucy turned around. "What time is it now?"

"Eleven."

"Wow." Lucy walked past Rob into the kitchen, but didn't look him in the eye nor give him a good morning kiss.

"Why'd you sleep out here?"

Lucy poured herself a cup of coffee. "I was watching an X-Files marathon...I guess I just fell asleep."

Rob nodded and took a sip. "Well...you'd better go get ready...we have other errands to do before the cast party."

Inside, she sighed, but outside, Lucy smiled and nodded as she took her coffee into the bathroom.

*****

Stealthily, as if she were a jungle cat, she crept into the room. She didn't want to make her presence known just yet. She slowly snuck over to the other side of the room and jumped onto the bed and onto the peacefully slumbering Renee, startling her.

"Shit! Kia Ora!"

The cat meowed at her owner and looked at her expectantly, her eyes half open in cat talk for "...but I WWOOOVVVEEE you!"

The blonde laughed and shook her head. "Alright...you win..."

Purring, the cat leapt off the bed and ran into the kitchen and onto the counter to wait for its meal while Renee looked at the clock. *It's noon...the cast party doesn't start until two.* She smiled and went into the kitchen to feed Kia Ora.

"You know...you have better timing than my alarm clock."

Another meow from the hungry feline. The blonde brought her face close to the cat's in order to give it a kiss when the cat meowed again. "Ugh...but at least the alarm has better breath! Geez Kia."

Met with an indignant meow, she stepped away to open the tin.

*****

Every year the Xena: Warrior Princess cast parties have been held in a rented convention room in a fancy hotel in Auckland, and this year was no exception. Dark, rich wood paneling covered the lower half of all four walls in the convention room, the upper half was white when the main flourescent lights were on, but now were tinted beige by the light from the chandeliers which shed a light amber hue.

The tables were arranged in a "U" shape, with one table, the one where the upper eschelon of the Xena staff would be seated, set up directly in front of the screen that would display this year's gag reel.

Lucy was familiar with the room - they'd held the cast party in this very hotel for the past two years - but this year would be different, a life changing experience. She pondered this as she and Rob walked in carrying a few bags of extra food and drinks for the party.

She scanned the room as she unloaded her bags. Quite a few of the cast and crew had already shown up, but she didn't spy the blonde among them.

*****

Rob watched as his wife sifted through the early birds and all the new arrivals. He tried to follow her line of sight through all of them so he could pick out which one of all the men that have co-starred on the show she could possibly be having an affair with. It's not like he could really do anything to them other than not hire them for more work on anything RenPics had to offer.

*I can't believe I didn't see it before. I mean...I think I know her pretty well, her being my wife and all.
*Who could she possibly want more than me? I AM Renaissance Pictures, for cryin' out loud.*

*****

Lucy looked at her watch. *Quarter till...she should be here soon.* She could feel the producer's gaze watching her for any signs that would clue him in as to what exactly was going on with her. She ignored him and tried to concentrate on what could happen that day.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around, her face brightening wth a big smile.

"Jacqueline! How are you?"

She turned around to give the woman a hug, regardless of what was probably going thouh Rob's head.

*****

*Well, THAT'S interesting...* thought the producer as he watched his wife give Jacqueline Kim a warm hug.

*Could it be...? Naw. Lucy's SO straight.* With that thought, Rob continued to study all of the male attendees for a sign, a signal anything that would tip him off.

*****

Renee walked in and found that most of the cast and crew had already arrived. She scanned the room for the tall raven haired woman she desperately needed to talk to, but couldn't find her. She found everyone she wasn't looking for: Ted Raimi, Kevin Smith, Danielle Cormack, Bruce Campbell, even Hudson Leick showed up.

Then she felt more than saw the intense cerulean eyes look at her from somewhere on her right. She looked and her heart rate instantly increased when she saw Lucy chatting with Jacqueline Kim, her attentions to the woman nonchalantly distracted by the blonde woman. Renee would be the first to admit that she was jealous of the bathtub scene between the two women.

Before either could signal the other to their side to talk, Rob stepped up to the podium. "Yes, yes, yes...it IS that time. I see everyone is here, and on time for once, so let's get the ball rolling!
"C'mon, everyone take a seat!"

Hesitantly, Renee and Lucy made their way to their seats on either side of Rob, never breaking eye contact. The blonde knew what was going through the other woman's mind, but at the moment was powerless to try and start making amends.

"Umm...welcome everyone to our third season cast party. I glad you could make it and I apologize for what happened the day before yesterday. I was unexpectedly called to L.A. and I didn't want to miss this.
"Thank you all for being so patient with me."

Renee smiled weakly, then returned to gaze to the woman so near yet so far away.

"I think we should begin the festivities tonight by playing the gag reels! Roll 'em!"

Rob sat down, obtructing Renee's view of her co-star. She sighed in frustration and sat back in her seat to watch the gag reels.

---

Finished HERE.

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