Full Circle
Chapter One
I'm Done Fighting
Xena is waiting for Gabrielle and Joxer to wake up so they can be on their way, and once Joxer is awake, he joins Xena by a stream. They are both worried about Gabrielle simply because it's only been four months since the love of her life was slain by Calisto's hand. Xena's trying to catch some fish for breakfast, when Joxer breaks the silence.
"Morning Xena. Having any luck?" He asks her.
"Not really. If I don't catch something soon, we'll just have to go with what we got. How's she doing? She awake yet?" Xena replies, throwing her line back in the water for the third time.
"She kinda moved around a little bit, but no. She's gonna be okay won't she? I mean, it's been four months and she's still hurting, I can see she is." Joxer tells her.
"She's going to for quite some time. I just hope that what I have to tell her when she wakes up, will pull her out of her depression." Xena says, as Gabrielle finally gets up and starts getting sick.
"Hey, hey. What's with this? Are you alright?" Xena asks, running over to her.
"Oh, I don't know. My stomach is just kinda, going nuts today." Gabrielle replies.
"What did you feed her last night anyway?" Xena asks Joxer, while she gets Gabrielle to the stream to wash up.
"Just the potatoes I got in town at that one shop. I can't remember the guys name, but he said they were fresh from the garden. You ate them and you're fine." Joxer protests, going over to help her with Gabrielle.
"I would like to know what's causing this. Look, I'm gonna get her taken care of, why don't you go and round up everything, and get Argo, and we'll set out." Xena says, while Gabrielle finishes up with her bath. Xena does finally get to tell Gabrielle her good news about quiting fighting, and it did help with her depression to some degree. Once everything is rounded up and ready to go, the three of them head to see Kaliopis and Solan. He already knows that Xena is his mother, so at least she doesn't have that to worry about when talking to him and Kaliopis.
When they reach Centaur territory, Ephiny right away grabs Gabrielle and pulls her into her hut.
"Whoa hey!" Gabrielle cries out from being startled. She wasn't expecting to be grabbed out of nowhere.
"Guess who?" Ephiny says, with her hands over Gabrielle's eyes, standing behind her.
"Ephiny! Oh how are you?" Gabrielle asks, once the shock wears off. They sit and talk for awhile, and Xena goes to Kaliopis's hut. She doesn't find him, but she does find Solan, still asleep, and sprawled out on the bed, with his feet sticking out from under the blanket.
"You sleep just like your father, don't ya?" Xena says, smacking his left foot, waking him up.
"Mom! I wasn't expecting to see you for awhile. I just figured you had a lot of things to do. Besides that, you said you wasn't going to back this way, for oh I don't know another two weeks. What changed, not that I'm complaining." Solan replies, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.
"I just needed to speak with Kaliopis. Do you know where he is this morning?" Xena tells him.
"I haven't got a clue. Tell ya what, let me get dressed and I'll meet ya outside, okay." Solan says, while stretching.
"Sure thing bud. See ya soon. I'm gonna find Aunt Gabrielle and Aunt Ephiny." Xena replies, getting up to head out.
"Knowing them two, they're probably inside talking, or having breakfast, or drinking tea or whatever. You won't get them away from there." Solan tells her.
"No need too. I'll join them while we wait for ya." Xena says, as she leaves him to get fully awake and get dressed. Just as Solan had said, Xena finds Gabrielle and Ephiny having breakfast, and talking as usual. Then she sees that Xenan has taken right to Joxer.
"I think you got yourself a little buddy there Joxer." Xena says, walking over to them.
"Yeah, this kid will talk your ear off. Ephiny, does he have a shut off switch?" Joxer asks, in a jokingly manner.
"I've checked him for one and I haven't found one yet. Xenan, why don't you take Joxer down to the pond and show him what you built down there yesterday." Ephiny replies.
"But I want to stay." Xenan tells her, starting to whine.
"We all want to catch up on some stuff, now scoot. You'll get to see Xena before she heads out." Ephiny says, waving her hand toward the door, giving him the sign to scram. While they are talking, Solan hollers for Xena and tells her that Kaliopis is back finally. She goes back out to talk to him, and tells him her decision on quitting fighting.
"Kaliopis, I don't mean to hurt you by this, but I'm done fighting. I'm done trying to make up for past mistakes. I'm going back home, for good. The only thing is, I want Solan to go with me. I thank you for everything you have done for him, and the life you have given him as well. Please, let me take over now." Xena explains. Solan is close by, listening and he starts packing up his stuff to leave with her.
"I'm gonna miss him, but it's up to him. Whatever he wants to do. He is old enough to make his own decisions on this. Will you give him that much and let him decide?" Kaliopis says.
"Yes, I will. Let's go talk to him." Xena replies. They get to the hut, and out bounces Solan with two big bags of his stuff.
"Are we ready to go mom?" Solan asks.
"Yeah. Whenever you are. Are you sure about this?" Xena asks him.
"Yes. Ever since you told me that I'm your son, I've wanted to go with you. Yes, I love it here, and I love everyone here, but I can always come for visits right?" Solan answers. Xena and Kaliopis both hug him, and Kaliopis tells him, "Of course you can." Solan runs to tell Gabrielle and Ephiny that he's going back with her and Xena and Joxer. After Solan gives his goodbyes to everyone, they head for Amphipolos.
Chapter Two
Back Home, Finally
When they reach Sirene's tavern, they all go in and see Toras sitting there at one of the tables.
"What in the Gods names are you doing here?" Xena asks, as they embrace.
"Well, I heard from someone that you had decided to stop fighting and come back home, and I figured that if you could do it, so could I. Who's this young man?" Toras replies.
"This is your nephew, Solan. Solan say hello." Xena says, putting her arm around Solan.
"Hi Uncle Toras! I've been told a lot about you on the trip here. What's grandma like? Are you back home for good too?" Solan tells him, asking all kinds of questions.
"Whoa, slow down there son. Your grandma is a wonderful person. She's full of love, she doesn't know a stranger, and yes, I am home for good too." Toras replies. No one even noticed right away that as soon as they got there, Gabrielle collapsed at the first table she came to, and went to sleep.
"Hey! You're home for good too? Wow, I just can't believe that I have you two back full time. Who's your friend here Xena?" Sirene says, coming in and seeing everyone. She already knew about Solan, but had never seen him. Joxer, well, she never met him or anything.
"Mother, this is Solan. This is Joxer, and Gabrielle is right, Gabrielle, hey, where did ya go?" Xena replies, but having to look around for Gabrielle, thinking she was still behind her.
"Is she okay? She doesn't look very good." Sirene asks, going over to check on her.
"She's been like this all day. I don't know if it's because she's still heartbroken over Perticus or what. Usually, she keeps up on a trip, or she eats in the morning, wait she did eat something at Ephiny's hut. I don't know mom. Do you have any idea?" Xena tells her.
"The only thing I know to do is, take her upstairs to one of the rooms. Toras, would you take up there?" Sirene says.
"Sure. I've met her before, so I don't think she'll slug me for picking her up." Toras replies. He picks her up, and it doesn't even phase her either. Xena goes with him up to Gabrielle's room to get her settled in, and she looks back at Solan and says, "Behave, I'll be right back. Mind your grandmother and Joxer." Solan nods his head okay, and goes to take a seat at one of the tables. Joxer gets them some water, while Sirene starts dinner for everyone.
"Joxer, can I go outside and find some kids to start a game of kickball?" Solan asks, while taking a drink of his water.
"No, I think you better wait and ask your mother when she gets back down here. Right now she's making sure that Aunt Gabrielle's okay." Joxer tells him.
In Gabrielle's room, Xena is thanking Toras for his help with her, and covering her up. She removes her boots, and puts another pillow under her head.
"It's no problem. She's probably just tired or has a small bug or something. Let's head back down and see if mother needs any help with anything." Toras replies. They get back downstairs, and Xena starts helping Sirene with dinner, while Solan asks again if he can go outside.
"Yeah, I don't care. Just come in when dinner's done. Don't wonder off. Kaliopis told me you like to explore." Xena tells him.
"I won't, and thanks." Solan says, jumping up and taking off outside. He finds at least eleven other kids in the village and they get a good game of kickball going. Sirene always puts so many different spices and herbs in her food that the smell of it rises up to Gabrielle's room and wakes her up. She makes her way downstairs where everyone is waiting.
"Hey, how ya feeling?" Joxer asks, being the first one to see her walk in.
"I'm a little better since I got that nap. Who took me up there?" Gabrielle asks, while getting herself some tea.
"I did. Mother asked me to carry up there. We didn't want to wake you up, so she asked, and up you went. Solan, come on in. Your mother said dinner is about done." Toras replies, then hollering out the front door for Solan.
"Coming. Hey guys, I'll see you all later or tomorrow." Solan tells them all.
"Yeah, you too. It's great having you here Solan. We finally have enough people for a full two teams." A boy named Ramone, tells him. Solan waves at everyone and then goes back inside.
"Sounds like you are starting to feel at home. Did you have fun?" Gabrielle asks him.
"Sure did Aunt Gabby, I really enjoyed myself out there. It's great here. Grandma, what's for dinner? I'm starving." Solan says, sitting down with everyone.
"Nothing fancy. I just fixed some steaks and baked some potatoes. I also have some berries that your Uncle Toras picked for me before he got here today, oh and some green beans too." Sirene replies. After getting everyone served, she sits down as well. While they are eating, Gabrielle takes one look at her green beans, sniffs the potato, and runs outside, sick again.
"That's it. I know what her problem is now." Xena says, throwing her hands up in the air.
"What?" Joxer asks with a mouth full of steak.
"She's pregnant. Now, we get to have fun waiting on her to tell us herself. Be right back." Xena replies, going outside to find Gabrielle. She finds her sitting on the ground, around the side of the building, with her head buried in her knees.
"Gabrielle? How far would you say you are?" Xena asks, sitting beside her.
"I don't know. It happened on mine and Perticus's wedding night. I was hoping it was something else. I want a lifelong memory of him, but how am I going to do this without him Xena? I just feel so lost. He was my whole world." Gabrielle tells her, starting to cry. Xena puts her hand on Gabriell's shoulder, and Gabrielle takes ahold of her hand, then she turns to her and cries on her for awhile.
"That's something I can't answer honey. I wish I had an answer for you, but you do have me to help you with this. You have my mom, who thinks of you as a daughter, and believe it or not, you have Joxer too. He loves you ya know. Yes, he's beyond goofy, but he has a damn good heart, and when Calisto had you in the middle of that fire, when he saw you like that, he told me later on that night that he thought he was going to lose you. He said that when he saw you like that, he was filled with rage, and that if Calisto ever touched you again, he would rip her apart with his bare hands. Why not give him another chance? None of us are fighting anymore, and I think it would be a good match." Xena explains to her.
"I uh, I do too. The thing is, I never seen myself with him at anytime in my life. I always thought he was more friend material, than dating material. I do like him Xena. But, he's not going to want me, with me being pregnant with another man's child, weather the father is alive or not." Gabrielle replies, sighing.
"Wrong. Gabrielle, it doesn't matter to me. I just want you to be happy. I really do love you, with all of my heart. I just hope you can come to feel that way about me one day." Joxer says, even though they didn't know he was there listening the whole time. Joxer is now standing in front of them, and he holds his hand out to Gabrielle. She looks at Xena who smiles and tells her, "Go on. Take his hand." Gabrielle smiles, and wipes a few tears from her face, and she takes Joxer's hand. He lifts her up, and while she is still crying on him and hugging him, he looks at Xena and mouths the words, "Thank You."
Chapter Three
Preparing For Baby
Three months later, Joxer and Gabrielle are in their room asleep, when Sirene makes her rounds to all of the rooms. She pokes her head in to look in on them and see how they are doing. She sees Joxer laying behind Gabrielle with his arm draped over her, as if he's protecting her from something or someone. She smiles and goes about her business when she hears Solan bring all of his friends inside for something to eat. Xena was already in the kitchen cleaning up a little and she's getting after everyone.
"Hey you guys, you need to settle down a bit. Gabrielle is up there trying to get some rest. Don't wake her up please, cause I'm the one that has to deal with her. No, on the other hand, if you guys wake her up, she's your problem." Xena tells them. Solan even tells them to please be quiet. They all get a snack and something to drink, then they go back outside to go horseback riding for the afternoon. Sirene gets Xena and tells her she needs to see how they are laying. Xena kinda has a puzzled look on her face, but she goes with her mom. Xena opens the door and sees how they are laying and all she can do is smile.
"You know mother, I'm so happy they are finally together. Gabrielle is always going to grieve for Perticus, but at least now she has someone standing beside her, who loves her and will take care of her." Xena says, still looking at her friends and she can't keep the smile off of her face. Xena and Sirene go back downstairs, and once the place is cleaned up and straightened up, Xena tells her mom that she is going for a walk with Toras if she can ever find him.
"Oh don't worry about him. He just went to the market about twenty minutes ago. He said he does want to go for a walk with you today, but don't leave without him." Sirene says. Xena raises her hands a little and says, "Okay, fine. I'll just go over here and wait, although he knows I'm the worst one at waiting." She only has to wait for about five minutes, and Toras finally shows up. They tell Sirene that they will be back shortly and she tells them she will have supper ready when they get back.
They hadn't intended on being gone for so long, but when they return to the tavern, Xena finds her mom working on something for Gabrielle. She already had supper done, but was just waiting on everyone to get there.
"What's that?" Xena asks, getting something to drink.
"It's a little baby quilt. Just thought I would make something for Gabrielle. I hope she likes it. Solan told me last week that he is really good with his hands, so I've set him to work in the barn making a cradle for her. Toras, would you be able to go back into town and get some baby clothes and diapers?" Sirene replies, then asking Toras about going back to town. He just gives her a funny look, but nods his head.
"What?!" Xena kinda scolds her brother.
"Nothing. I just thought I might look a little funny getting diapers when I'm not married, or have any kids. Sorry about that. Sure, I'll go back into town after supper okay." Toras tells them. This time, Gabrielle is finally able to eat something and keep it down. Xena is looking at her thinking, "Has she not ate for a month?" Solan gets her some water, already knowing where it's going her eating that fast.
"Here Aunt Gabby. You're gonna need that." Solan says, handing her the cup.
"Thanks." Gabrielle replies with a mouthful of chicken. Everyone else starts eating when Gabrielle holds her chest and yells, "Ouch! Good grief."
"What happened? Are you okay?" Joxer asks.
"No. I ate too much, too fast, and it got stuck. The water helped, but still it hurt." Gabrielle replies.
"Told ya you was gonna need that. I did that before when I was staying with Uncle Kaliopis. It's not a very nice feeling." Solan tells her. Gabrielle just sighs, but eventually smiles at him.
Once everyone is done eating, Gabrielle and Xena decide to go for a small walk and they run into someone from Xena's fighting days.
"Xena. You're looking well." Hercules says, coming out from behind a tree.
"You don't look so bad yourself. Where did you come from?" Xena replies, looking around for Iolas.
"Oh, you won't find him. He went back to his hometown for a few days for a visit." Hercules tells her, knowing who she's looking for.
"So, want to walk with us for awhile?" Gabrielle asks him.
"Sure. I'm just heading home for a meeting with my father. I guess Ares is up to his same ole, good for nothing self, and he wants me to straighten him out. Like I can do any good." Hercules says, while they all sit on a log and let Gabrielle take a small break before continuing.
"Let me guess. He wants me to come back to him and fight with him again. Am I right?" Xena asks, while throwing a rock into a nearby pond.
"You guessed it. Zues said that he can see you are happy with not fighting anymore, but Ares won't stop torturing you until you go back to him and give in. Believe it or not Xena, my father actually does like and respect you." Hercules tells her, as Gabrielle starts acting funny. She is at seven months along now, and acting funnier and funnier every day.
"Are you alright?" Xena asks, finally noticing that something is not right with her.
"Yeah, I think so. I've just not been sleeping much of a night, and I think it's catching up to me. You go ahead and catch up with Hercules, I'm gonna head back home." Gabrielle replies, getting up to stretch and it hurts her back.
"Hey, Gabby. How about we walk with ya? I would really like to see Sirene anyway. Ya know, see how she's getting along and everything." Hercules tells her. Gabrielle nods her head yes and they all take off toward the tavern. On the way there, lack of sleep takes over Gabrielle and she just drops right there in the dirt. Xena and Hercules were talking so it took a minute or two for either one of them to notice.
"Gabrielle!" They both exclaim when they turn around and see she is no longer walking behind them, but asleep now.
"I've got her." Hercules tells Xena as he picks Gabrielle up and carries her like a baby the rest of the way.
When they get to the tavern, Sirene sees them coming and she hollers for Joxer.
"Having a bad day Joxer!" She yells up the stairs. He was in their room setting up everything that had been made or store bought for the baby. He gets downstairs and asks if everything is okay and if he needs to do anything.
"She's fine. She just told us that she has not been sleeping much of a night, and I guess lack of sleep caught up with her, and she just dropped on the way back here. It's okay Joxer. You can breath again." Xena tells him, placing her hand on his shoulder. Sirene goes upstairs with all of them to get her settled in again, and they send Solan over to the neighbor's house for awhile. Sirene puts her hand on Gabrielle stomach, and Xena is just watching wondering what's going on. Sirene looks up, seeing Xena still standing there. She points to the door, and whispers to Xena, "Downstairs now. Stay there and wait for me." Sirene finishes her midwife exam then goes downstairs. When she gets down there, she finally tells what's going on.
"Well, when she told you that she got pregnant on her wedding night, I think she got her figures wrong. How long ago was it that you and her were in Troy? I remember the two of you talking about it last week, and that her saying that's when she met up with Perticus for the first time since she left home. Yes, her and Perticus did show their love for one another on their wedding night, but I'm thinking it was first done in Troy." Sirene explains, sitting down at the table.
"It was around 8 and a half months ago. Then two weeks later, Perticus came to our camp one night, then during supper he asked her to marry him. She took all the way until the next night to decide, but then later on, she did marry him. Mother look at me. Are you saying, she's farther along than what any of us thought?" Xena replies, starting to get concerned.
"Yes I am. Plus, I'm telling you that if she doesn't deliver anytime during the night, she's going to within the next few days." Sirene tells her. Xena grabs another drink of her water, then goes to find Solan and Toras. Even Toras was outside playing kickball with the kids.
"Hey guys, come here." Xena calls for them. They go see what's going on, and Xena tells them what she has just been told about Gabrielle.
"Do we need to go somewhere for a few days?" Toras asks her, while Xena looks toward the hill.
"No. No you guys stay here. When we were walking earlier, Hercules said he had a meeting with his father because Ares is wanting me back, again. He won't take no for an answer. If he sees the two of you out and about, he'll won't waste time." Xena tells him.
"Won't waste time?" Solan asks.
"In other words, if he has us, he'll know that your mother will do anything in her power to get us back, alive and unharmed." Toras explains to him. They all head back inside and run smack into Gabrielle.
"What are you doing down here?" Xena asks her.
"I was coming to get something to eat. Joxer is nowhere to be found, mom, is Gods know where, and you guys were nowhere in sight either. I mean, I can take care of myself." Gabrielle replies, referring to Sirene as a motherly figure to her.
"Mom could be just fixing up rooms and cleaning them. I think she said that there are gonna be some people coming tonight on a fishing trip. They won't be here no longer than tomorrow afternoon." Xena tells her. Once Gabrielle finds something to make a sandwich, she goes back to her room, eats, takes a bath, then lays down again. Xena is sitting at the table thinking to herself, "It's gonna be tonight sometime. I know by the way she was moving. It's going to be soon."
Chapter Four
Congratulations Mommy And Daddy
It's just around the middle of the night, and Xena has already changed rooms. Her room is usually at the end of the hall, but she took the room right next to Gabrielle and Joxer just to be on the safe side. She's just getting ready for bed when Toras and Solan walk in and tell her that they are headed to the barn. Xena and Sirene wanted them there for when the time comes that Gabrielle needs Xena and Sirene.
"I'll come and get ya after the baby's born. I just know it's gonna be sometime tonight. Goodnight you two." Xena tells them. They tell her goodnight and get their stuff. Just as they are headed to the barn, they hear Gabrielle all the way from where they are outside.
"Mom! Let's go!" Xena hollers into her mom's room.
"Way ahead of ya." Sirene says, meeting her in the hall. They get in there and see Joxer worried and freaking out.
"What do I do, what do I do?" Joxer keeps asking over and over again.
"Well the first thing you're gonna do is, calm down before you get your lights punched out. The next thing you're gonna do is, go get some towels. Then, once you finish that, come back in here, and keep her calm. Can you handle that?" Xena tells him. Joxer nods his head, still standing there and not moving until Sirene yells, "Scram!"
"I shouldn't already be having this baby. It's too soon." Gabrielle tells them.
"Why don't you be honest? It's really none of my business, but you and Perticus were together in Troy. You're actually right on time. Yes, something did happen on your wedding night, but you were already two weeks into the pregnancy. Mom figured it out." Xena says, while she sits down beside her.
"Where is Joxer? Xena, she's ready to go. Gabrielle, I need for you to calm down and start pushing." Sirene says, which Gabrielle starts arguing with her.
"I'm not doing this alone. I won't do this without Joxer." Gabrielle replies, being stubborn. Xena climbs on Joxer's side of the bed and puts her arm around Gabrielle, and Joxer finally gets back with the towels.
"What did I miss?" Joxer asks.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Gabrielle snaps at him.
"Hey, I was doing what I was told to do. Where do you guys want me?" Joxer replies, handing the towels to Sirene.
"Um, get behind her and support her. I've got Xena where I need her to be. You two just keep talking to her and keep her calm, I've got the rest. Now that everything's squared away, let's have us a baby." Sirene says, and Gabrielle finally does what she was told to do.
"Come on baby, you're doing great." Xena tells her.
"One more Gabby. Come on." Joxer says. Gabrielle just screams and cries and slams her head right into Joxer's chest. Finally after what seems like forever, Gabrielle delivers a girl.
"Hey there sweetie. Want to see mommy?" Sirene tells her, and she just cries and cries. Once she is in Gabrielle's arms, she stops crying, then Gabrielle starts up. Sirene gets both of them cleaned up, and once Gabrielle and the baby can be moved, Joxer takes them both in his arms, so Xena and Sirene can get the bed changed and ready for them. Joxer sits them in a nearby chair, and Gabriells lets him hold the baby.
"Hey there. I may not be your daddy by blood, but I promise to love you and your mommy and take care of you guys, no matter what. You're just the sweetest little thing I've ever seen." Joxer tells her. Gabrielle tells Joxer that she would like for her name to be Hannah.
"Joxer, Perticus's memory will always live on in my heart, but you've been wonderful to me through all of this. Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a daddy. She's both mine, and yours." Gabrielle says, in which Joxer still has Hannah in his arms, and hugs her. He starts crying and he tells her, "Your daddy's little princess aren't ya? Yeah. I love you Hannah banana."
"They're gonna be fine." Sirene tells Xena while they are just finishing up on the bed.
"Do you want to go back to bed, or get something to eat?" Xena asks, going over to see Hannah.
"I am hungry yes, but I really want to go back to bed. It's nearly daylight now, and we are all tired. You've done enough, I can't ask you to get me something to eat. I'll wait until breakfast." Gabrielle replies.
"Hannah, want to see Aunt Xena? Go on, go talk to her." Joxer says, handing Hannah to Xena.
"Well, you didn't take no time in getting here did ya? As soon as you knew that daddy was back, here ya came. I'm gonna teach you archery, horseback riding, hunting, and fishing too." Xena tells her, and she sneezes on her.
"Xena, she's just now learning how to open and close her eyes." Sirene says, from across the room.
"I know. Okay fine. For now, we'll just work on peek a boo. How's that sound?" Xena replies, still talking to Hannah. She gives her back to Gabrielle, and once Xena and Sirene make sure that everything is ship shape, Joxer puts Gabrielle on his side of the bed, by the wall and they put Hannah between them, and he takes Gabrielle's side of the bed.
"I realize that you want to get aquainted with her, but honey don't start putting her in bed with you. That's one of the hardest things to break them of. Xena practically slept in my bed with me until she was 9. She got sick one night when she was around 5, so I put her in bed with me, like an idiot and she didn't leave my bed and go back to her's until she was 9." Sirene tells her. Xena is turning beat red from child hood stories, when she realizes that she forgot all about Solan and Toras.
"Do you feel up to company? I forgot about letting Solan and Toras know about Hannah." Xena asks.
"Yeah, it's fine. Go ahead and get them. We'll be here." Gabrielle replies, getting ready to feed Hannah real quick before they get there. Xena heads out to the barn and she finds both Toras and Solan knocked out on the hay sound asleep.
"Hey you two. Want to see Hannah? Gabrielle had a girl, and that's what she named her." Xena tells them. It takes them about five to ten minutes to get motivated, which gives Gabrielle enough time to feed Hannah. They get up and go see her, and Solan right away wants to hold her. Gabrielle lets him, and Toras is talking with Joxer for awhile. After about fifteen minutes, Xena and Sirene run everyone out so Gabrielle, Joxer, and Hannah can get some sleep. They all go down in the tavern to have some hot tea and just talk for awhile.
Chapter Five
A Day In The Life
Hannah is now a year and a half, and walking and talking up a storm. She follows Gabrielle everywhere, until her daddy gets home from work of a day, then she follows him. Solan has had his eleventh birthday already, and while he is over at his friend's house getting ready to go fishing, Joxer comes in on his horse, Drifter. He waves to Solan, and Solan runs up to him.
"Hey Uncle Joxer. How was work?" Solan asks, hugging him. Joxer hands the reigns to Solan, and sighs.
"Let's put it this way, I'm so tired that I might not even eat supper tonight. Is Gabby in the house?" Joxer replies.
"Yeah, she's in there trying to get Hannah to go play and give her a break. She's gotten so big." Solan says, laughing.
"Yep, she has. Listen, I don't know what your grandma is planning for supper tonight, but smoked fish sounds really good. Go catch a good mess of them and I'll help you clean them when you get back." Joxer tells him.
"Will do. Tell mom I'll be back in about an hour okay." Solan replies, running off with his friend. Joxer goes inside and he hears Hannah's voice saying, "Daddy Daddy." She runs to him and he picks her up and does the normal routine with her. He puts her on his shoulders, and says, "Anyone seen Hannah?" She always laughs and squeals until Xena walks in the room, and tickles her ribs.
"How was work?" Xena asks, while helping Gabrielle prepare supper. Sirene had been fighting a stomach bug all day, so she had the girls to take over downstairs and run things in her absence. Joxer sits Hannah down and goes over to the table.
"That shop was so busy today. Everyone and their dog and maybe a cat or two was in there. Big fishing tournament I guess. One was wanting a new sword, another one was wanting bait, another one wanted a halter for their horse, I was never so happy in my life to get out of there today. How's things been here, and where's mama?" Joxer replies, and asking about Sirene after noticing that she's not around.
"She's been fighting some kind of stomach bug ever since early this morning, Xena had to fight with Solan to get him to come in for lunch, and that one over there, has not minded one time today, at all." Gabrielle tells him.
"Hannah, come here. Didn't daddy tell you that I didn't want any bad reports on you when I got home from work of a day?" Joxer says, and Hannah has her head down, knowing that she's in trouble. She just nods her head and says, "Sorry daddy." He lightly taps her on her diaper and tells her, "From now on behave while I'm at work and mind your mother and Aunt Xena, and grandma. They tell you to do something, you do it. Go play."
"Hey sis, will you put that gate up that Toras made for the door? I'm gonna open it and get some air in here. It's so dang hot today, and cooking supper doesn't help the heat any." Gabrielle tells Xena. She gets the baby gate and opens up the door, and Hannah is trying to climb over it.
"Hannah get down. You're not going outside right now." Xena says, tapping her on her bare leg.
"Has she been like this all day?" Joxer asks, while getting himself some water.
"Oh, this is only a sample of how she's been today. See that spot there by the door? She grabbed Solan's paint and started playing in it. I told him to put it back in the barn, but as you can see he didn't get to it in time." Gabrielle replies. She gets the chicken out of the oven, and starts putting everything on the table, then she hollers outside for Solan to come in.
"Yikes, I forgot to tell you guys. He went fishing with a friend of his, and I asked him to catch some fish for supper. He said he'll be back in about an hour." Joxer tells them.
"Damn it." Gabrielle says, tossing a dish rag in the sink.
"Calm down, I'll go get him. I know where he is." Xena says, heading out into the barn. She gets Argo, and takes off for the stream where Solan and Malcolm usually hang out.
"Have you ever sent word to your mom and dad yet? I know you was talking about it awhile ago." Joxer asks.
"No. I never did tell you this. When I went back home after an ambush that Xena and I were in, I met Melieger. That you already know. The thing you don't know is, they told me that I made my choice when I left to join up with Xena. They pretty well said they didn't want me anymore, so I talked to Sirene awhile back, and she told me that she sees me as another daughter. The way I look at it, if my real family is going to treat me like that, then they are not worth even worrying about. I have my real family here, with all of you. Sirene is mom to me now, Xena has always been like a sister to me, making Solan my nephew, you and I are married now, Toras is my brother in law, and we have our baby. I wouldn't trade any of this for all the gold in Rome." Gabrielle explains to him.
"You have no idea how happy you, and the rest of this family has made me. The night Hannah was born, I meant what I told her. I told her that I would love you and her with all my heart and do my best to take care of you both." Joxer replies, as Hannah has managed to climb over the gate and go outside. Xena rides up with Solan, and Solan jumps off of Argo and puts Hannah back inside. They all sit down to eat and Xena takes a small plate up to Sirene and she is only able to eat a few bites and then she's done.
The next afternoon, since Joxer had the day off, the whole family, including Sirene, decided to go have a picnic down by the lake. Hannah and Solan are running around, chasing each other, Gabrielle is laying on Joxer's shoulder, Sirene is making sandwiches for everyone, and Toras is throwing rocks into the lake with Xena. When Sirene calls for all of them, Solan and Hannah go running back over to their spot, and Hannah falls and gets hurt. Solan picks her up and she's crying and does'nt stop until Joxer or Gabrielle gets her.
"Hey what's the matter with grandma's girl?" Sirene asks, when Gabrielle gets her back over to the blanket.
"I scraped my elbow." Hannah says, trying to cry again. Sirene kisses her elbow, then Gabrielle has to, then Joxer, Solan, Toras, and Xena. Hannah always gets a thrill from getting everyone's attention. As they are all having lunch, Gabrielle starts thinking about how things went from lonely to great, then to a tragedy, back to beyond great. Her life with Perticus was short lived, but his memory is slowly starting to fade away. She knows that Perticus would approve of Joxer because he was Perticus's best man during the wedding. Hannah gets up and starts chasing a butterfly, and Gabrielle takes ahold of Joxer's hand and says, "Come on. Let's go." Xena and Sirene sit and watch the three of them go after that butterfly, and they can't help but smile and laugh. Xena knows that her best friend has finally found happiness again, and even though she's been through more than her fair share, she knows she's gonna be just fine, and not have any heartache anytime soon.
The End