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.
#
When Gabrielle's hand met with his own, in that moment
Joxer forgot the destruction outside, the lightning and
absolute darkness creeping across the City's ruins. No
matter the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of souls huddling
around the last of the towers. None of it mattered because
Gabrielle's touch completely filled his universe.
Her warm fingers, callused from years of weapons-handling
and hard living, wrapped around his own and held tight.
Only when her grip loosened and she withdrew her hand from
the keyhole did Joxer come back down enough to realize that
it hadn't worked. The door still stood. He hadn't
considered the possibility that might happen.
Frustration replaced bliss in a heartbeat, and he banged
his fist against Hades' barrier. It should have worked! His
love for Gabrielle could not be any truer. Even in death,
he loved her still. Their failure could mean only one
thing: No matter how much Joxer loved her, she did not love
him in return. A terrible heaviness pressed against his
chest as his heart broke all over again.
"Joxer?" Perdicus' voice penetrated Joxer's misery. "Are
you all right?"
He didn't answer. Instead, his gaze drifted, without
seeing, across the circular room, to the door, out the
window. The shock of the absence of sky snapped him back to
himself. More than his own heart was at stake here. Despite
his own failure, they still had to stop the void from
destroying all -- for the greater good.
"Perdicus," he murmured. "You do it."
From his place on the floor, where he still held
Persephone as though he would never let go, Perdicus' eyes
flew wider. Almost in fear, Joxer thought, although that
seemed silly. Perdicus had no reason to doubt the love he
and Gabrielle had shared.
"What are you talking about?" Perdicus' voice trembled.
"You were her husband," Joxer explained dully. "You loved
each other more than anything. Maybe that's enough to open
the door."
Persephone gasped. "You're married to her?"
"It was long ago," Perdicus quickly answered. "We were
married for only a day before I was killed." He turned his
attention to Joxer. "I have wonderful memories of
Gabrielle, but I don't love her anymore. I'll have no more
success than you did."
Joxer nodded stiffly and pressed no further. Part of true
love was absolute certainty of that love, and Perdicus
obviously did not meet that qualification. They could not
afford to waste time on another doomed attempt.
"Joxer!" Gabrielle's voice drifted through the door.
He leaned over to look through at her beautiful eyes. He
wanted that sight to be his last before the void overtook
them all.
"Joxer, I--" Her voice cracked. "I'm sorry. I thought we
could do it. I do love you, but I guess it's not in the
right way."
His eyes began to water, and he choked out, "I'm sorry,
too, Gabrielle. I'm sorry we couldn't save all these souls
here. I'm sorry I won't ever see you again." He thrust his
fingers into the hole, and she met his touch, one last
time. "Say good-bye to Xena for me, and Virgil and Meg, if
you see them again. And always remember ... I love you."
"I know." With the quiet response, she squeezed his hand,
then withdrew.
Unable to face the door anymore, Joxer turned away. The
room's golden light, he noticed, was slowly fading to
darkness. Through the window, he could no longer see to the
ground. All those people had vanished, and only the void
remained. Soon, the end would come, and he would welcome it.
#
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.
#
When Gabrielle's hand met with his own, in that moment
Joxer forgot the destruction outside, the lightning and
absolute darkness creeping across the City's ruins. No
matter the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of souls huddling
around the last of the towers. None of it mattered because
Gabrielle's touch completely filled his universe.
Her warm fingers, callused from years of weapons-handling
and hard living, wrapped around his own and held tight.
Only when her grip loosened and she withdrew her hand from
the keyhole did Joxer come back down enough to realize that
it hadn't worked. The door still stood. He hadn't
considered the possibility that might happen.
Frustration replaced bliss in a heartbeat, and he banged
his fist against Hades' barrier. It should have worked! His
love for Gabrielle could not be any truer. Even in death,
he loved her still. Their failure could mean only one
thing: No matter how much Joxer loved her, she did not love
him in return. A terrible heaviness pressed against his
chest as his heart broke all over again.
"Joxer?" Perdicus' voice penetrated Joxer's misery. "Are
you all right?"
He didn't answer. Instead, his gaze drifted, without
seeing, across the circular room, to the door, out the
window. The shock of the absence of sky snapped him back to
himself. More than his own heart was at stake here. Despite
his own failure, they still had to stop the void from
destroying all -- for the greater good.
"Perdicus," he murmured. "You do it."
From his place on the floor, where he still held
Persephone as though he would never let go, Perdicus' eyes
flew wider. Almost in fear, Joxer thought, although that
seemed silly. Perdicus had no reason to doubt the love he
and Gabrielle had shared.
"What are you talking about?" Perdicus' voice trembled.
"You were her husband," Joxer explained dully. "You loved
each other more than anything. Maybe that's enough to open
the door."
Persephone gasped. "You're married to her?"
"It was long ago," Perdicus quickly answered. "We were
married for only a day before I was killed." He turned his
attention to Joxer. "I have wonderful memories of
Gabrielle, but I don't love her anymore. I'll have no more
success than you did."
Joxer nodded stiffly and pressed no further. Part of true
love was absolute certainty of that love, and Perdicus
obviously did not meet that qualification. They could not
afford to waste time on another doomed attempt.
"Joxer!" Gabrielle's voice drifted through the door.
He leaned over to look through at her beautiful eyes. He
wanted that sight to be his last before the void overtook
them all.
"Joxer, I--" Her voice cracked. "I'm sorry. I thought we
could do it. I do love you, but I guess it's not in the
right way."
His eyes began to water, and he choked out, "I'm sorry,
too, Gabrielle. I'm sorry we couldn't save all these souls
here. I'm sorry I won't ever see you again." He thrust his
fingers into the hole, and she met his touch, one last
time. "Say good-bye to Xena for me, and Virgil and Meg, if
you see them again. And always remember ... I love you."
"I know." With the quiet response, she squeezed his hand,
then withdrew.
Unable to face the door anymore, Joxer turned away. The
room's golden light, he noticed, was slowly fading to
darkness. Through the window, he could no longer see to the
ground. All those people had vanished, and only the void
remained. Soon, the end would come, and he would welcome it.
#