Back in the Habit

Xena and Solan were brushing Argo when Solan noticed Joxer walking up to them.

"Joxer!" Solan exclaimed running over to hug him. "I missed you."

"I didn't expect you to be away for so long." Xena said.

"Me either." Joxer said.

"We're leaving in a few days." Xena said.

"Where are we headed?" Joxer asked.

"Ultimately Amphipolis but we're going to make a stop at the centaur village." Xena said.

"Joxer!" Gabrielle exclaimed riding up on Brownie.

"Gabby! Aren't you a sight to see?" Joxer smiled. Xena and Solan shared a look, both wondering how Gabrielle hasn't figured out that Joxer is in love with her. If an eleven year old can figure it out, why can't she? Hercules and Iolaus walked up.

"Joxer, nice seeing you again." Hercules said. "Are you staying until they leave?"

"Yeah." Joxer replied.

"You can stay at my place if you want." Iolaus offered.

"Thanks." Joxer said.

A few mornings later Hercules smelled breakfast brewing from his room. He was confused and he had every right to be. Nobody really cooked except him so he went to see what was going on. He found Xena cooking breakfast. That was a sight he never thought he'd see. Hercules went behind her and began kissing her neck. She smiled.

"Stop, I don't want to have to try to explain this to Gabrielle or Solan if they come in here." Xena said. His kisses were causing her to do something she never did, at least not since she was a little girl which was blush. Then again, this pregnancy has been causing her to do things she never does like stop and smell roses, even dance. Yeah, dancing has been the strangest thing. Her tough exterior was totally being broken and the softy that lived inside was trying to make its way to the surface. The warrior princess just could not have that. She couldn't wait until this pregnancy was over so that she could go back to normal.

"You're making breakfast? I thought you couldn't cook. What's this about?" Hercules asked.

"My mom kind of let the cat out of the bag so I couldn't put it off much longer. I just don't like to cook, well I hate cooking but I can, pretty well actually. You've been spoiling us every since we've been here so I figured I'd pay you back since we're leaving today." Gabrielle and Solan came in.

"Guess who cooked." Hercules said.

"No. Xena, you did not cook." Gabrielle said in disbelief.

"Don't get used to it." Xena said. They set the table and began breakfast.

"This is good!" Solan exclaimed.

"Yeah, you do have many skills." Hercules said. Afterward, Xena, Solan and Gabrielle packed so that they could go. Xena finished before them and went to talk to Hercules.

"This is it for about a month or so." Xena ran her hands through Hercules' hair. "We'll be back before you know it." The baby began kicking. "I think the baby wants to say goodbye to daddy." Xena put Hercules' hand on her stomach.

"You've been different... in a good way." Hercules said.

"That's because I'm surrounded by people that bring out the best in me." Xena said. Hercules kissed her, they stopped when they heard footsteps coming their way.

"We're ready!" Solan exclaimed.

Xena, Solan, Gabrielle and Joxer took off on the horses.

"Gabrielle, are you going to be alright going back to the land of the centaurs after what happened the last time we were there?" Xena asked.

"I'm fine, really." Gabrielle replied. They arrived after a couple days. Everything still seemed a lot better than it did when they left. Xena really wanted to come to give Solan a chance to see everyone he had grown up with for the first ten years of his life.

"Xenan, I'll come back soon." Xena and Gabrielle heard Ephiny say to her son nearby and went over to talk to her.

"Ephiny." Gabrielle called.

"Gabrielle! Xena. I'm glad to see you. There's major trouble going on with the Amazons. We have to go to war. We need your help." Ephiny explained.

"What's going on?" Gabrielle asked.

"We were invaded by the Romans, they came and took some of the Amazons for slaves. We have to go to war to get them back." Ephiny said.

"Don't tell me it was Caesar's army." Xena said. Her insides were boiling at the the thought.

"I'm not sure. Could be." Ephiny said.

"Xena..." Gabrielle was worried Xena's other side might come out. It comes out pretty easily when Caesar is mentioned.

"I'm fine, Gabrielle." Xena said, calming herself and getting rid of the Caesar flashbacks that were suddenly on replay in her mind. "I can help you come up with a plan to defeat the Roman's but I can't go with you. I have to think about Solan and I can't put this baby at risk." Normally Xena would tough it out and go but she thought about her fight with Alti and how close she came to losing this baby and she didn't want to experience that again. If it was Caesar's army, no good could come of her coming in contact with him. She'd want to kill him first chance she got, if it were his army and she saw him. Now that Solan was in her care and she had another baby on the way, she knew she couldn't let her hate and anger rule her. Though she knew that, she couldn't promise not to let her hate and anger rule her in the heat of a moment. When she really snaps, it's instant, as easy as pressing a button.

"We have to fight them before they go back to Rome." Ephiny said.

They didn't stay in the centaur village long before Xena, Solan, Gabrielle and Joxer headed to the Amazon land with Ephiny. When they got there Xena and Gabrielle went with Ephiny and the other Amazons to devise a plan leaving Solan with Joxer.

"Who's Caesar?" Solan asked.

"An evil man." Joxer replied.

"Like Alti?"

"Yeah, they're about the same amount of evil only Caesar doesn't have powers like Alti did. I wouldn't mention him to your mom."

"Why?"Solan asked. He loved Joxer, he was a guy was who was around ninety percent of the time, he was dependable and he knew he'd always answer his questions.

"Let's just say they have history, a bad one." Joxer said. "And no one wants you to see your mom's bad side." Joxer thought to himself.

Meanwhile, Xena worked on a plan with the Amazons. Some of the other Amazon's found out that it wasn't Caesar's army but it was Caesar's enemy's army.

"That's better, right, since it isn't Caesar?" Ephiny asked.

"Yes but not much better and Caesar may not be too far behind, on the other hand he may not be a problem at all. Considering where they are..." Xena started explaining what they needed to do. It was dangerous but it would probably work.

"I don't know if I can do this without you." Gabrielle said.

"You have to, they need you, you're an Amazon queen. If you and Ephiny work together you can pull this off. I believe in you. I know you would prefer not to have to go to war but there's no other way out of this. I wish that I could be there to help you but I can't this time. It's hard for me to let you go through with this without me but every mother has to let there children leave the nest sometime. Not that I'm your mother but you know what I mean." Xena said and hugged her. "You always said you wanted more responsibility." Xena tried to lighten the mood.

"Gabrielle." One of the Amazons called and Gabrielle went over to them then Ephiny came over to Xena.

"I left Xenan with the centaurs, I know he's safe there but if I don't make it back could you just check in on him every now and then, look out for him?" Ephiny asked.

"Don't talk like that. You're coming back, you all are, with the ones the Romans took as well. You have to. Xenan needs his mother and Gabrielle is like a sister to me and I've gotten too used to having her around. The plan will work." Xena said.

Xena felt bad that she couldn't go with them and she was going to worry until it was all over. The Amazons went to war and in the mean time Xena headed to Amphipolis with Solan and Joxer. On the way there, Xena realized a man was following them so she got off Argo and pulled her along with Solan still riding. This way she'd be in a better position when he attacked her but she didn't want him to realize that she realized he was following them. Finally he attacked, he wasn't even good at it. She knocked the sword out of his hand and then kicked him to the ground. Kicking isn't as easy as it was a few months ago.

"Who sent you?" Xena yelled at him.

"No one!" The man said. Xena put the pinch on him. This is the first time Solan had ever seen it.

"I just cut off the circulation of blood to your brain, you have sixty seconds to live now I'm asking you again, who sent you?" Xena yelled.

"No one! The best way to get respect as a warlord and be the best warlord is to kill the best." The man said.

"Ugh! This is getting old. You're not the best, you're not even close. You call that an attack? You can't and you won't beat me. Do you understand that?" Xena took the pinch off, the man tried to run and Xena pulled her sword on him. "Not so fast! Solan, get on Brownie with Joxer."

"But-" Solan started.

"Now." Xena said. Solan did as he was told. "Head up the road a bit, I'll meet you there in a few minutes." Joxer road off.

"What kind of name is Brownie for a horse?" The man asked.

"Shut up! I am tired of all of you want to be warlords trying to make a name for yourselves by trying to kill me. Now as tempted as I am to kill you, I'm not going to do that. But..." She used her sword to make an X on his chest. The man screamed. "Tell anyone else that if they try, they won't be so lucky." Xena got on Argo and met up with Joxer and Solan.

"Did you kill him?" Solan asked.

"No." Xena replied.

"Can you teach me that pinch thing?" Solan asked.

"No." Xena replied. "Now let's go."

It took about a week to get to Amphipolis but they finally arrived. Xena walked into her mother's with Solan and Joxer following her.

"Mother?" Xena called but was amazed to see the first face she saw. "Gabrielle!" Xena exclaimed.

"The plan worked. Unfortunately, we lost a few Amazons on the way but Ephiny's ok and we were able to save the Amazons that were captured." Gabrielle said then Xena, Solan and Joxer hugged her. They were overwhelmed with relief to see her there safe and sound.

What do you all think about the way the story has unfolded so far?