“Same thing with all of us,” said Sin. “Same move, same everything—”

“Except I was home alone and he did it right there at the front door,” said Xena. “Didn’t even close the door before he had me starkers.”

“Disrobed,” said Sin.

“I’m really trying to figure out why you think I want to hear about his advanced skills,” said Pat.

“Because it matters,” said Laurette, “so if these two will let me tell it, since they didn’t want to say anything till I started telling—”

“Go,” said Sin. “It’s all yours.”

“He couldn’t do it,” said Laurette. “He wasn’t, like, ready.”

The other two nodded.

“He was impotent,” said Pat, not believing it.

“Yes,” said Laurette. “It was all his idea, and it’s not like we were fighting him off or anything—you’re right, we’re terrible people and disloyal friends and you should hate us forever or I hope for maybe just a year or a week or maybe not at all because it took us completely by surprise and then nothing happened.”

“You’re naked on the bed with the man I’m in love with,” said Pat.

“Living room carpet,” corrected Xena.

“Not exactly nothing,” said Pat.

“Nothing,” said Laurette. “And believe me, he was more surprised than we were. It’s like he couldn’t believe it.”

“He must have come to me last,” said Sin, “because he did look like he expected it and he was totally pissed off.”

“At me, I thought,” said Xena, “and I said, ‘You think I’m fat and ugly,’ and he says, ‘How are you doing this?’ and I realize he isn’t talking to me. He’s talking to himself.”

“Only now we realize that he was talking to Danny,” said Laurette. “Do you see why this matters? Danny didn’t like what he was doing—because he really is in love with you.”

“Or he thinks I’m ugly,” said Xena.

“So Danny found a way to make it so his body couldn’t do the job,” said Sin. “He’s still in there, and he’s got a little bit of control.”

Pat couldn’t help it. Her eyes filled with tears and she covered her face with her hands.

“What are you doing?” asked Xena.

“Pat doesn’t cry,” said Sin.

“Shut up,” said Pat. “Just for a minute here, eat your stupid carrot cake.”

“I hate the carrot cake,” said Xena. “And I like all cake, so you know it’s bad.”

“She wants us to give her a second,” said Laurette.

“A minute, actually,” said Sin.

Pat took her hands away from her eyes. Emotions under control. “You’re right,” she said. “That’s good news. Danny’s still in there and he’s doing something that victims of the Belmage aren’t supposed to be able to do.”

“What?” asked Xena.