Title: Let My Love Open the Door
Author: Jennifer Campbell
Rating: PG-13 for regular Xena violence
Characters: Joxer, Xena, Gabrielle, Perdicus, Persephone
Time period: Sometime after fifth season
Summary: Hades' death causes big problems in the
Underworld.
For other disclaimers and notes, please see chapter 1.
#
Gabrielle heard voices, murmuring waves of sound, one
blending into the next in a frustrating blur. Ear pressed
to against the keyhole, she tried in vain to pick out
words. No one spoke loudly enough for her to understand.
She had no more luck with her vision, as figures moved too
rapidly across her narrow view to make out more than basic
forms.
They were so close! Only a few feet away, on the other
side of this infernal door, were those who could help to
open it. Yet for all her efforts, Gabrielle couldn't even
decipher who -- or what -- she and Xena were dealing with.
The fist-clenching frustration was enough to make her want
to scream.
Xena leaned intently over her shoulder, trying to get a
glimpse through the hole. "Any luck figuring out what
they're talking about?"
Gabrielle rolled her eyes. "What do you think?"
"I take it that's a 'no'?"
"Maybe I should yell at them," Gabrielle suggested. "You
know, try to catch their attention."
Xena's voice was low, near to her ear. "I don't think
that's a good idea. We don't know what we're dealing with.
Those could be Hades' underlings, or something worse. They
might be the ones who put up the door."
"I don't think they are, Xena."
Raised eyebrows, Xena asked, "And how do you know that?"
"I -- I don't know." Gabrielle shrugged helplessly, unable
to offer much more of an explanation. "I just ... _feel_ it.
Like an instinct, you know?"
"It was your instincts that brought us here in the first
place," Xena replied thoughtfully. "You were right about
that, so ... go ahead. Yell at them."
"Really?" Gabrielle blinked, surprised.
Xena waved invitingly toward the door. "Be my guest."
Gabrielle grinned, took a deep breath of cool mountain
air, and --
"OBLIVION!?"
Gabrielle choked on her own attempt at communication as
that single, incredulous word blasted through the keyhole,
the first intelligible thing they had heard. She exchanged
a frantic, worried look with Xena, and peered through the
door. Still nothing to see, but the murmur of voices rose
to a roar, as though that one outburst had triggered a
flood of conversation.
Yet that voice. Something about it sounded so familiar,
and comforting, like a soft blanket on a cold night. No
matter the negativity behind its tone. Gabrielle's heart
started racing, and she didn't know why.
Something rattled the door, from the other side, and both
women jerked back. The door hadn't so much as budged before
now. It rattled again, as though someone was pounding their
entire body against the wood, trying to break through.
Again. The door trembled, but held firm.
Another voice rose above the clamor, this one female.
"Stop it! You'll hurt yourself!"
_Thud._ The door shook again. Gabrielle fell back a step,
afraid the heavy wood might suddenly collapse on top of
her. Xena stood directly behind her, hands tightening
almost painfully on Gabrielle's shoulders. They both held
their breath, and waited.
"We have get out!" the first voice yelled, angry and
desperate. "I'm going to break down this door if it's the
last thing I --"
_Thud._
A third, male voice chimed in. "Joxer, stop! You'll hurt
yourself!"
At that, Gabrielle gasped. The tiny sound escaped her lips
unnoticed, and blood pounded in her ears. Could it be true?
She grasped at one of Xena's hands, desperate for that
grounding force, anything to convince her she wasn't
dreaming. Xena squeezed her fingers, reassuring her that
she was indeed awake.
"Did you hear that?" Gabrielle whispered. "Did you hear
what they called him?"
_Thud._
"Ouch!" The exclamation came through the keyhole,
confirming all they needed to know.
Xena answered hoarsely, "I think you should yell at them
now. Before he really does hurt himself."
"Right. Of course," she said absently as she moved toward
the door. All her focus riveted through that hole, to the
man on the other side whom she never thought to see again.
Despite herself, she smiled as she knelt before the
keyhole. "Joxer!"
A pause, and then, "Who said that?"
"It's Gabrielle!"
She could see him now through the hole, at least the
middle section of him. Her window of vision ended just
below his shoulders, but she recognized the gangly body and
couldn't help but grin even wider. She could imagine him,
looking frantically around the room for her disembodied
voice.
"Where are you? I can't see you!"
"The keyhole," she yelled. "Look through the keyhole."
The form moved, drew close enough to block all light. Then
she found herself staring at a pair of wide, shocked eyes.
"Gabby? Is it really you? Is Xena there?"
Xena yelled from behind, "I'm here, Joxer!"
A flash of a grin. "Wow! It is so great to see you guys.
I've missed you so much."
"We've missed you, too, Joxer." Gabrielle grinned back,
then got down to business. "How do we open the door?"
"Um, well, there's this riddle, and --" He paused, and the
next thing Gabrielle saw was his fingers sticking into the
hole. "It takes human contact, and, well, love."
"Huh?" Gabrielle answered.
"The riddle says that love opens the door, and Persephone
says it has to be true love, like what I feel for, um --"
He stopped himself, then said, "Just take my hand,
Gabrielle."
She glanced worriedly back at Xena. "Did you hear that?
True love opens the door?"
Xena shrugged. "Sounds like a good idea to me."
"But I don't think this is going to work," she hissed. "I
do love Joxer, but not like that. True love is a much more
powerful force. It moves mountains. Xena, I --"
Xena silenced her with one finger over her lips. Her eyes
danced, probably at Gabrielle's nervous chatter. "Just do
what he asks, and see what happens. It might be their only
chance."
_Their only chance._ Xena's words made sense, but Gabrielle
didn't want Joxer's afterlife depending on her heart. She
wanted to fight her problems with weapons in hand,
something to kick and punch. In this instance, apparently
only love could grant victory. This was one battlefield
that had already handed her more than one defeat, and she
had no wish to revisit.
If they touched, and the door opened, she could no longer
deny her feelings for Joxer -- a possibility that made her
tremble in fear for both of them. The last man she had
loved had been slaughtered. Would the same thing happen
again, if she let someone in? Especially someone like
Joxer, who had a difficult time getting his boots on the
right feet, let alone defending himself.
On the other hand, if they touched and the door didn't
open ... that option scared her even more.
"Come on, Gabby!"
Joxer's fingers reached toward her, and she knew her duty
outweighed her fear. She was a hero -- at least, she tried
her best to fight for the greater good -- and right now,
her friend needed her. In fact, the fate of the entire
Underworld may rest on her very actions. Millions of souls
may hang in the balance.
So she straightened her shoulders, steeled her courage and
thrust her hand into the keyhole. Their fingertips brushed,
warm, yet slick with a nervous sweat. She pushed her hand
in farther to hook her fingers around his.
His touch, light and gentle, brought thousands of memories
unbidden to mind. Sitting around the campfire while Joxer's
fingers danced expertly over his lute. Caring for him in a
temple as he lay near death, his hand so cold in her's, and
she prayed to every god in the heavens that he recover. His
fingertips brushing against her cheek, so softly, after Eli
had brought her and Xena back from the dead.
So many good memories of those hands, not clumsy at all
but confident and caring. Holding onto her now through the
door, suddenly opening up her heart to all those
possibilities she had locked away as impossibilities. In
that moment, as their hands caressed, she wished for all
the world that the door would open and damn the
consequences.
Gabrielle closed her eyes, relying totally on touch, and
prepared herself for whatever may come. A blinding light,
or the splintering explosion of wood. Things like this
tended toward the dramatic.
Moments passed, and became seconds, stretching into more
seconds. Gabrielle measured the time by her rapid
heartbeats. Their hands grasped even tighter.
Nothing happened.
Finally, Gabrielle reluctantly withdrew her hand, her
heart almost breaking at the loss of contact. She looked to
Xena with hopeless eyes. "I think we're in trouble."
#
Author: Jennifer Campbell
Rating: PG-13 for regular Xena violence
Characters: Joxer, Xena, Gabrielle, Perdicus, Persephone
Time period: Sometime after fifth season
Summary: Hades' death causes big problems in the
Underworld.
For other disclaimers and notes, please see chapter 1.
#
Gabrielle heard voices, murmuring waves of sound, one
blending into the next in a frustrating blur. Ear pressed
to against the keyhole, she tried in vain to pick out
words. No one spoke loudly enough for her to understand.
She had no more luck with her vision, as figures moved too
rapidly across her narrow view to make out more than basic
forms.
They were so close! Only a few feet away, on the other
side of this infernal door, were those who could help to
open it. Yet for all her efforts, Gabrielle couldn't even
decipher who -- or what -- she and Xena were dealing with.
The fist-clenching frustration was enough to make her want
to scream.
Xena leaned intently over her shoulder, trying to get a
glimpse through the hole. "Any luck figuring out what
they're talking about?"
Gabrielle rolled her eyes. "What do you think?"
"I take it that's a 'no'?"
"Maybe I should yell at them," Gabrielle suggested. "You
know, try to catch their attention."
Xena's voice was low, near to her ear. "I don't think
that's a good idea. We don't know what we're dealing with.
Those could be Hades' underlings, or something worse. They
might be the ones who put up the door."
"I don't think they are, Xena."
Raised eyebrows, Xena asked, "And how do you know that?"
"I -- I don't know." Gabrielle shrugged helplessly, unable
to offer much more of an explanation. "I just ... _feel_ it.
Like an instinct, you know?"
"It was your instincts that brought us here in the first
place," Xena replied thoughtfully. "You were right about
that, so ... go ahead. Yell at them."
"Really?" Gabrielle blinked, surprised.
Xena waved invitingly toward the door. "Be my guest."
Gabrielle grinned, took a deep breath of cool mountain
air, and --
"OBLIVION!?"
Gabrielle choked on her own attempt at communication as
that single, incredulous word blasted through the keyhole,
the first intelligible thing they had heard. She exchanged
a frantic, worried look with Xena, and peered through the
door. Still nothing to see, but the murmur of voices rose
to a roar, as though that one outburst had triggered a
flood of conversation.
Yet that voice. Something about it sounded so familiar,
and comforting, like a soft blanket on a cold night. No
matter the negativity behind its tone. Gabrielle's heart
started racing, and she didn't know why.
Something rattled the door, from the other side, and both
women jerked back. The door hadn't so much as budged before
now. It rattled again, as though someone was pounding their
entire body against the wood, trying to break through.
Again. The door trembled, but held firm.
Another voice rose above the clamor, this one female.
"Stop it! You'll hurt yourself!"
_Thud._ The door shook again. Gabrielle fell back a step,
afraid the heavy wood might suddenly collapse on top of
her. Xena stood directly behind her, hands tightening
almost painfully on Gabrielle's shoulders. They both held
their breath, and waited.
"We have get out!" the first voice yelled, angry and
desperate. "I'm going to break down this door if it's the
last thing I --"
_Thud._
A third, male voice chimed in. "Joxer, stop! You'll hurt
yourself!"
At that, Gabrielle gasped. The tiny sound escaped her lips
unnoticed, and blood pounded in her ears. Could it be true?
She grasped at one of Xena's hands, desperate for that
grounding force, anything to convince her she wasn't
dreaming. Xena squeezed her fingers, reassuring her that
she was indeed awake.
"Did you hear that?" Gabrielle whispered. "Did you hear
what they called him?"
_Thud._
"Ouch!" The exclamation came through the keyhole,
confirming all they needed to know.
Xena answered hoarsely, "I think you should yell at them
now. Before he really does hurt himself."
"Right. Of course," she said absently as she moved toward
the door. All her focus riveted through that hole, to the
man on the other side whom she never thought to see again.
Despite herself, she smiled as she knelt before the
keyhole. "Joxer!"
A pause, and then, "Who said that?"
"It's Gabrielle!"
She could see him now through the hole, at least the
middle section of him. Her window of vision ended just
below his shoulders, but she recognized the gangly body and
couldn't help but grin even wider. She could imagine him,
looking frantically around the room for her disembodied
voice.
"Where are you? I can't see you!"
"The keyhole," she yelled. "Look through the keyhole."
The form moved, drew close enough to block all light. Then
she found herself staring at a pair of wide, shocked eyes.
"Gabby? Is it really you? Is Xena there?"
Xena yelled from behind, "I'm here, Joxer!"
A flash of a grin. "Wow! It is so great to see you guys.
I've missed you so much."
"We've missed you, too, Joxer." Gabrielle grinned back,
then got down to business. "How do we open the door?"
"Um, well, there's this riddle, and --" He paused, and the
next thing Gabrielle saw was his fingers sticking into the
hole. "It takes human contact, and, well, love."
"Huh?" Gabrielle answered.
"The riddle says that love opens the door, and Persephone
says it has to be true love, like what I feel for, um --"
He stopped himself, then said, "Just take my hand,
Gabrielle."
She glanced worriedly back at Xena. "Did you hear that?
True love opens the door?"
Xena shrugged. "Sounds like a good idea to me."
"But I don't think this is going to work," she hissed. "I
do love Joxer, but not like that. True love is a much more
powerful force. It moves mountains. Xena, I --"
Xena silenced her with one finger over her lips. Her eyes
danced, probably at Gabrielle's nervous chatter. "Just do
what he asks, and see what happens. It might be their only
chance."
_Their only chance._ Xena's words made sense, but Gabrielle
didn't want Joxer's afterlife depending on her heart. She
wanted to fight her problems with weapons in hand,
something to kick and punch. In this instance, apparently
only love could grant victory. This was one battlefield
that had already handed her more than one defeat, and she
had no wish to revisit.
If they touched, and the door opened, she could no longer
deny her feelings for Joxer -- a possibility that made her
tremble in fear for both of them. The last man she had
loved had been slaughtered. Would the same thing happen
again, if she let someone in? Especially someone like
Joxer, who had a difficult time getting his boots on the
right feet, let alone defending himself.
On the other hand, if they touched and the door didn't
open ... that option scared her even more.
"Come on, Gabby!"
Joxer's fingers reached toward her, and she knew her duty
outweighed her fear. She was a hero -- at least, she tried
her best to fight for the greater good -- and right now,
her friend needed her. In fact, the fate of the entire
Underworld may rest on her very actions. Millions of souls
may hang in the balance.
So she straightened her shoulders, steeled her courage and
thrust her hand into the keyhole. Their fingertips brushed,
warm, yet slick with a nervous sweat. She pushed her hand
in farther to hook her fingers around his.
His touch, light and gentle, brought thousands of memories
unbidden to mind. Sitting around the campfire while Joxer's
fingers danced expertly over his lute. Caring for him in a
temple as he lay near death, his hand so cold in her's, and
she prayed to every god in the heavens that he recover. His
fingertips brushing against her cheek, so softly, after Eli
had brought her and Xena back from the dead.
So many good memories of those hands, not clumsy at all
but confident and caring. Holding onto her now through the
door, suddenly opening up her heart to all those
possibilities she had locked away as impossibilities. In
that moment, as their hands caressed, she wished for all
the world that the door would open and damn the
consequences.
Gabrielle closed her eyes, relying totally on touch, and
prepared herself for whatever may come. A blinding light,
or the splintering explosion of wood. Things like this
tended toward the dramatic.
Moments passed, and became seconds, stretching into more
seconds. Gabrielle measured the time by her rapid
heartbeats. Their hands grasped even tighter.
Nothing happened.
Finally, Gabrielle reluctantly withdrew her hand, her
heart almost breaking at the loss of contact. She looked to
Xena with hopeless eyes. "I think we're in trouble."
#