"So tell me Virgil……what have you been doing since the last time we met?" Gabrielle asked as she took a sip from her mug of mead.

Virgil smiled.

"Actually……I've been going to the Academy. I'm officially a bard! I graduated not so long ago."

Gabrielle face split with a huge smile.

"That's great Virgil." Gabrielle said with an odd sense of pride.

"His father would have been proud." Xena said to Gabrielle as she stared at Virgil with the same odd sense of pride that Gabrielle did.

"Yeah." Gabrielle said out loud.

"Yeah what?" Virgil asked with a confused look on his face.

"What?" Gabrielle asked not understanding that she had spoken out loud.

"You just said 'Yeah'." Virgil elaborated.

"Oh.." Gabrielle said as she shook her head with a smile and looked down at her mug.

"I……I was agreeing with myself over the fact that……………….your father would be very proud of you." Gabrielle said as her voice went down in tone. A frown replaced the smile on Gabrielle's face as the subject of Joxer was brought up.

Virgil's face became somber.

"Dad would have loved to see me graduate." Virgil said in a quiet voice.

Gabrielle nodded her head, agreeing with Virgil.

They stayed silent for a few minutes. All thinking of the man that died on a field as they stood over him watching.

A tear escaped Gabielle's eye as she thought of the last time that she had spoken with Joxer. The horrible thing being that, she hardly remembered his face and only had the sound of his voice that remained.

His deep voice telling her that he would always love her……and that he would just have to learn to live with that.

Eyes shutting as she tried to see his face. Tried to see the face of a man that had dedicated his life to Xena and herself……and had only asked for their friendship……their love…………….in return.

Here and now, at this very second, the felt ashamed- because someone wanted her to forget him and she didn't know why or even who wanted her to forget.

It just wasn't right. It wasn't fair.

"Sooo………where are you off to?" Virgil asked after the silence that had engulfed them.

Gabrielle looked up and smirked.

"Not really sure. Basically heading where the path takes me." Gabrielle answered.

"Well…….if your going to Olynthus…….I'm heading that way anyway……would you mind if I joined you?" Virgil asked timidly.

Gabrielle smiled once more.

"I would love for you to join me. Actually I'm supposed to meet someone there." Gabrielle said as she stood.

Virgil followed in tow, and rose from his chair as well.

After walking back to the Inn and gathering her belongings, both Virgil and Gabrielle set off for Olynthus.

Both talked about trivial things on the way there. About anything and everything really. Oddly Gabrielle found herself asking him if he was eating right, and if he was taking a bath every chance he got. Asking if there were any girls he was interested in back in Rome. At one point Virgil's stomach growled and Gabrielle went into a huge speech about eating and keeping his health up.

Virgil just looked at her with this humorous smirk.

"Your right Gabrielle." Was all he would say.

Gabrielle had to also hear Xena scold her about being a 'mother hen'. That Virgil was a grown man and knew how to take care of himself.

Yet Gabrielle couldn't help it.

That night when she was cooking she found herself placing a cloth under Virgil's chin, tucking it into his shirt, so he wouldn't spill anything on himself.

At this Virgil grabbed both of her hands and told her himself.

"Gabrielle……I'm a big boy! I think I can eat without a bib."

With that Gabrielle pulled back and tried to refrain her unusual behavior.

Really Gabrielle thought she knew why she was acting the way she was. After the whole Lucifer ordeal she felt that her relationship with Virgil had been morphed into something that it wasn't. Having almost come close to 'being' with Virgil, she found herself almost repulsed at her actions.

He was Joxer's son!

But as she watched Virgil and his mannerisms, his eyes, his hair. A weird feeling entered her. As though she was missing something big that was right in front of her.

Shaking her head she reminded herself that if things had been the way Joxer wanted……………then Virgil would have been her son.

The thought made her think about Hope.

Hope.

A word that held so much meaning to life, held so much pain and sadness for her could make her cry was a cruelty that she had done to herself.

"Gabrielle! Are you ok? You were really out of it right then." Virgil's voice rang out.

Gabrielle shook her head.

"What?"

"Gabrielle is something the matter?" Virgil asked concerned.

"What's wrong Gabrielle?" Xena asked from beside her.

Shaking her head she said, "Nothing….I'm just tired. Long day."

Virgil nodded his head in understanding. He knew that she had traveled a long way- probably for months now.

"I understand. Why don't you turn in? I'll clean up."

Gabrielle smirked and nodded.

"I'll take that offer." Gabrielle said as both shared a small laugh.

"Good night Gabrielle." Virgil said as Gabrielle stood and opened her pelt to settle in.

"Good night." Gabrielle returned.

Virgil smirked as he watched Gabrielle fall asleep the instant her head touched the ground.

Virgil went about building the fire to supply heat for the night. Then he cleaned up, as he said he would.

Xena watched as he did this and then scouted the area.

She made sure that no one was spying on Gabrielle.

Gabrielle had told her back at the Inn that she still felt a presence watching her. That it was getting worse as time went by. Like she could feel an evil presence constantly looking at her.

That's why she was so concerned when Gabrielle had stopped talking all together with Virgil suddenly.

Xena was afraid that whoever it was that was doing this to Gabrielle- spying on her, that they would find out who it is…….before Gabrelle lost more then just her memories.