The Trio, part three

by Susan Owens

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Gabrielle stared at the sleeping man. She thought to herself, I've never noticed how handsome he looks. Stop that, Gabrielle! You've told him you love him only as a friend.

His reply still bothered her. "But, Gabrielle, I will always love you more than that. And, that's just something I'll have to live with, you know? That's alright."

She smiled down at him as he slowly opened his eyes. "Hi, Gabrielle," he said weakly.

"Hi, yourself," the bard stated.

Joxer looked at her green eyes. "You look like an angel," he replied.

The young Amazon laughed. "I told you before Joxer, I'm not an angel."

"You are to me."

"Yeah. Well, if I am an angel, where are my wings?"

He smiled. "I've decided that real angels don't have wings."

She smiled back and placed a cold cloth on his head."How do you feel?"

He sighed. "I can't feel my legs. But that woman said they will be all right."

The bard nodded her head. "Yeah, you mean Nama. She's a friend of Jace's."

"Joxer, how did this happen to you?"

"That's what I want to know. I told you to stay in the cave."

Jett had walked into the room and was waiting for answer. Joxer looked at his older brother. He cleared his throat and began his story.

"I waited in the cave. It seemed like a long time. I knew Jace was getting on your nerves. You have a very short patience span, Jett. I was afraid that you would loose your patience with Jace and kill him. Finally, I decided to go and find you."

Jett remained silent while Joxer continued. "I left the cave, and the next thing I knew I was surrounded. I took out my sword to fight them, but there were too many. One of them picked me up like I was a sack of potatoes, and carried me off. They tied me to a tree and one of them made me swallow some nasty tasting stuff. I tried to spit it out, but he jerked my head back and made me swallow it. I don't remember any thing after that. I'm sorry I didn't listen to you, Jett."

"Maybe the next time I tell you something, you will listen. I've got to go outside and help Xena prepare for father." At those words, Jett left.

Lucinda stared at him as he left. "The gall of that man. You almost died and he acts like he doesn't even care."

Joxer shook his head. "He cares. If he didn't, I'd be dead. It's just that I never should have been born. I was a mistake."

Both the bard and the young woman stared at him, and Gabrielle spoke. "Joxer, you are not a mistake. If you are so are your brothers. You are triplets, remember?"

The wanna-be warrior slowly pushed himself up on the bed. "You don't understand, Gabrielle. I was not supposed to be born.

"When my mother told my father she was going to have a baby, he took her to see the Oracle because he wanted to make sure he was going to have a son."

Joxer waited for a response, but got none, so he went on. "The Oracle said that mother was going to have two healthy boys. Two," he held up two fingers, "not three. The day came, my father sent for a midwife, and my mother had two boys. Jett came first and Jace came, I believe, a few minutes after. My mother was fine but she was exhausted. So father let her rest. "

Again he waited for response. "Go on, Joxer," said Gabrielle.

"My mother started feeling pain again .She called for my father and said that she was having another baby. My father was angry. The Oracle told him only two sons. He sent for the midwife again and she came. Jett and Jace were easy births, but I was not. I came into the world backwards."

"You were a breach baby, child," said Nama, who was also listening.

"Yeah, I guess. Anyway, it took me a longer time to be born. My father was so angry that the Oracle lied to him that he had her killed. He then picked me up and was going to kill me, but mother stopped him. I've spent most of my life trying to please him."

Gabrielle stared at the young man. "Joxer, how can you know this? You were just a baby."

"Because fader tol' heem de story ofer an' ofer again, yust to make heem feel bad. I hate dat man."

"Hi, Jace. What's going on out there?"

"Jett and Xena send me in heer to protect chu guys. Fader ees out dere. Jett say he could sense heem. I don' know wha' he means. I don't see nuting."

He walked over to Joxer and gave him a dagger. "Jett say yust een case fader geets by dem."

He then turns to Gabrielle. "Xena say she need chu."

The bard nodded her head and left. She came outside to see Xena talking to Jett.

"You make no sense. You want to protect your brothers from your father, but you don't want to kill him. Get this thought your thick skull - the only way to stop an army is to kill their leader."

Jett glared at the Warrior Princess. "I don't want my father killed. I love him, Xena. In spite of what he's done, I love him. There must be another way."

She glared back at him. "If there's not?"

He hung his head. "If there is not, and if I have to kill him to protect my brothers, I will. But I will kill him, Xena, not you."

"Just remember if you can't, I can."

The assassin nodded his head.

Gabrielle walked over to her friend and the assassin. "What's the plan, Xena?"

Xena turned to her friend. However, before she could answer, an arrow with parchment strapped to it fell in front of her. She bent down and picked the arrow up, tearing off the message. She read it, and then handed to Jett, who took the message and read it.

**Son, this is stupid. Why should innocent people suffer for your brothers? Let us talk. I will be in the clearing. I will have one man with me, and you may bring one person with you. If you accept, I will be waiting.**

He turned to Xena. "I'm going to meet him."

She nodded. "Then I'm coming with you."

He waved his hand and walked towards the clearing. When they arrived, Judd and his second-in-command were waiting.

"I'm glad you came, son. I have a proposal for you. I will fight one of your brothers. If he wins, I will leave. However, if he loses you all die. Is that fair?"

The assassin looked at his father. "Joxer couldn't fight even if he wanted to. Your men saw to that."

"Yes. Pity, the poison was meant for you. However, because you were dressed alike, my men couldn't tell you apart. What about what's-his-name? Can he fight?"

"His name is Jace. Father, you either fight me or take a chance on Xena helping."

The warlord stared at Xena. He knew about her reputation, and did not want to fight her. "All right, I'll fight you."

Jett nodded his head. "One more thing, father. If I win, Jace is our brother again, and Joxer can see him anytime he wants."

The warlord nodded his head. "I agree, but he will never be my son."

Jett removed his weapon. "Then let's begin."

Judd placed his hand on the weapon and lowered it. "Not here. Back at the hut. I wanted your brothers to see this. I'll see you soon, and be prepared to die." At that, Judd and his man walked back into the forest.

Xena started back to the hut, with Jett right behind her. When they came to the hut Jett went inside. Jace greeted him.

"Wha's goin' on? Why hadn't de fighting started?"

Jett placed his hand on his brother. "Father and I are going to fight - one on one."

"One on one, Jett? Can you take him?"

"Joxer, don't ask such a stupid question."

"It not stupid, Jett. There is a lot of difference between killing someone face to face and facing someone in the heat of combat. Especially if that someone is your father"

"Jox, I can handle it. Don't worry. Okay, father wants you two to watch, so Jace, help me get Joxer's bed to the window so he can see."

Nama was sitting in her chair by Joxer's side. "No. I will not allow it. Joxer will not be put by the window. I won't take any chances of an arrow coming thought and hitting him."

"My father is a man of his word," replied the assassin. "He said he would leave us alone if I win."

"Please forgive me if I don't believe you. He stays right here."

Jett started toward the woman but Jace grabbed him.

"Don' chu dare hurt Nama, Jett. Che's right. I do not trus' fader eeder. Thees ees my fault, you say so yourself. I chould be the one to face fader, not chu."

Jett shook his head. "No. You do not have enough experience. Father will kill you. Now you both stay here. I'll let you know how it turns out. "

Jett was turning to leave when suddenly he went down on the floor. Jace was standing over him with a broken vase in his hand. Joxer stared at his brother.

"Are you crazy? What did you do that for?"

"Thees ees my fight. Not Jett's."

"Jace, father will kill you."

"I am no afraid to die, Joxer, I'm chust not crazy about eet. Weesh me luck?"

Joxer nodded his head. "Good luck, Jace."

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Jace stepped outside where his father was waiting. He also noticed his father's men, but they were just standing there. Judd looked at his son.

"Are you ready to die, Jett?"

"Feerst of all, old man, I am Jace, no Jett, and I do no plan to die today."

Jace removed his weapon. The warlord stared at it. It was the skinniest sword he had ever seen.

"What kind of a sword is that, boy? You playing with a toy?"

Jace swished his sword. "Eet ees not a toy. Thees is a fencing sword. Now, are we going to fight or talk?" Jace's last question was spoken with no accent at all.

The warlord raised his weapon and charged, intending to place his sword right thought his son's heart. However, when he charged, he missed. There was no one there. He suddenly felt a rap on his rear and he turned around and saw his son standing there.

"Hold still, you little weasel." Again, he charged, but again he missed.

Jett came out, staring at what was going on. Their father was charging, but Jace was staying away from him by doing fancy moves to avoid his father. He walked over to Xena and Gabrielle.

"What is he doing?"

"I'm not sure," said the bard, "but I think he's dancing."

Judd was getting madder and madder. "Hold still! I said hold still." Suddenly Jace struck his father in the shoulder.

"Touch*," he remarked.

The Warlord's own men were laughing. This made Judd mad and he charged. This time Jace did not move out of the way; instead he kicked his father full in the face, and send him to the ground. He then grabbed his father's sword and put his foot on his father's chest, pointing the sword at the older man's throat.

"I belieef I won, old man."

The Warlord looked up at Jace. "What are you waiting for boy? Kill me. A real man would."

Jace stared at his father. "I weell not keell you. I weell not be like you."

"Then you are still a coward."

"Then I yam a coward. But Jocsur and Jett are my broders, and I weell see them anytime I wan' to and, old man, I weell see my moder, too."

At that, Jace walked away. Judd slowly took out his dagger and was about to throw it when suddenly there was an arrow in his shoulder. Jett stepped forward. "Get on your feet and get out of here, father, before I kill you."

The beaten Warlord climbed to his feet as his men helped him. He turned to Jett. "I've lost all my sons, now."

The assassin stared at his father. "That's your decision, not ours." He then walked over to Jace.

"Jace, that was amazing. Why didn't you tell me you could do that?"

Jace smiled at his brother. "Why should I? Chu think because I am differen', I don't know how to fight. I can fight, I yust hate to. Come on, le's see how Jocsur ees."

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Lucinda was sitting by Joxer's bed. He had been trying to get up."Please lay still."

"Let me go. They might need me."

Both his brothers walked in. "It's over, Jox," said his oldest brother. He placed a hand on Jace's shoulder. "Jace here won."

Joxer was surprised. "You won?"

Jace shook his head. "Why ees everyone surprise dat I won?"

"Because," replied Xena, "You just don't look like a fighter. Well, in those clothes maybe you do."

Jace nodded his head he then turned to Lucinda. "Lucinda, honey, are de clothes I lef' heere de las' time steel heere?"

Lucinda nodded her head. "Right in the room where you left them."

Joxer and Jett smiled at their brother. He stared at them "Ees not wha' chu think. Now eef you 'scuse me?" He went into the room, and soon he came out dressed in his own clothes.

"Dere, dat's better," he said with satisfaction.

"Not quite," replied Jett, as he threw Jace's wig at him. Jace caught the wig and let out a cry.

"Look at my hair piece. Eet's terrible, I can' wear dees."

Jett gave Jace a warning look. "But den again, a leettle combing out an' eet weell be as good as new."

They all laughed. Gabrielle turned to Joxer. "How are your legs?"

Joxer smiled at her. "The feeling's starting to come back in. I should be up and around in no time."

The next day Joxer was slowly walking around, with the help of Gabrielle and Lucinda.

"Boy," commented Jett, "he gets all the fun."

Jace nodded his head.

Joxer looked at his two brothers. "What can I say, guys? Either you've got it or you don't."

Gabrielle and the other young lady looked at Joxer and laughed. "As soon as you can walk on your own, mister, you're going to," replied the bard.

Joxer nodded his head and smiled at both girls. Xena walk over to Nama.

"How long will it be before Joxer can walk on his own?"

Nama smiled "He can walk on his own now, but I think he loves the attention."

Xena laughed. "Well, I had better talk to him." She walked over to the three. "Girls, I needed to talk to Joxer alone."

Lucinda started to say something but changed her mind and walked away. Xena sat down beside Joxer.

"Joxer, I know you can walk by yourself, so before Gabrielle finds out, I think you had better get better."

Joxer nodded his head. "Okay, Xena."

Later that day everyone was getting ready to leave. Jett stared at his brothers. "Say, do you two remember a promise we made to mother?"

Joxer nodded his head. "Yeah, we promised to come and visit her on her fiftieth birthday."

Jace smiled. "Tha's nest week. What are we waiting for? Let's go." He rode off down the road.

Jett turned to Joxer. "Say your good-byes. I'll wait for you."

Joxer walked over to his friends. "I'm going with my brothers to visit mother. Would you like to come?"

Xena looked toward Jett who nodded his head. "Sure, Joxer, we'd love to."

Joxer smiled and went to his brother, who pulled him on Hades. Xena, with Eve, mounted Argo and the bard mounted her horse.

"Okay, people - the next stop: Athens," announced Joxer as they rode out. They were on their way to see the triplet's mother.

The End