Part Three:

Gabrielle looked up as her friends entered the camp. She noticed that

Joxer looked very sorrowful, almost like he wasn't even there. She

walked over to him, took his hand and

they walked over to his bedroll. "Come on, Joxer. I think you need some

loving," she murmured in his ear.

Joxer shook his head. "Are the girls asleep?"

Gabrielle looked stung. Joxer had never told her no when it came to

their nightly fun. "Uh, yeah. They've been asleep for an hour. Joxer, are

you all right?"

Joxer looked back at Xena then down at his sleeping daughter. "Yeah,

I'm fine. I just have to do the hardest thing I've ever done in my life

tomorrow."

Gabrielle looked at Xena and she sighed. "I told Joxer he needs to tell

Adora who she really is."

"What do you mean, Xena? Dorie's just a child."

"A child that has powers and she needs to know."

Gabrielle's eyes narrowed. "Are you saying she could be like Hope?"

"I've never said that!" Xena gasped.

"No you didn't, but that's what you are afraid of. Isn't it, Xena?"

Gabrielle's voice was beginning to rise in anger.

Joxer suddenly turned around sharply. "Stop it now! I'll tell Dorie

everything, but I don't want you two opening up old wounds! I'm going to

bed."

Gabrielle and Xena looked at him, embarrassed. "Sorry, Joxer. You get

some sleep, huh? I know it's going to be tough for you in the morning,"

Gabrielle said softly.

Joxer nodded. "You're right, Gabrielle. It's going to be... I don't

know..." he sighed.

Xena gazed at her two friends for a moment before speaking up. "You two

get some sleep, huh? It might not seem so bad in the morning. And

Gabrielle, I didn't mean to

make it sound like I was afraid that Adora was turning into Hope.

Adora's a great kid. I know she didn't mean to hurt me. If she had meant to,

she damn well wouldn't have

bothered with healing me."

Gabrielle looked at Joxer, who only gave her a weak smile and then

climbed into his bedroll, inviting her in. The bard immediately went

inside, snuggled close to him and

placed her head on his chest. "Joxer, it will be all right."

"Gabrielle, how do I tell her all of this? That I've been keeping this

from her? It's like I've been lying to her all her life."

"Joxer, maybe she won't see it that way. She's pretty smart."

"Yeah, I know," Joxer sighed and closed his eyes. He suddenly felt

Gabrielle's lips over his. He opened his eyes, smiled, and kissed her back

but his mind was on his daughter.

The two girls watched from their bedroll. "I wonder what is bothering

Papa?" Adora whispered.

"Must be something big. He looks really sad," Eve whispered back.

"Do you think your mom punished him too?" Eve and Adora looked at each

other and burst out laughing.

"GIRLS!"

"Yes, Mom?"

"Go to sleep!"

"Yes, Mom."

"Yes, Auntie Xena."

*****

In the far off distance, a cock crowed to greet the morning. Xena

stretched and slowly got up. She looked over and saw the girls were already

up, but Joxer and Gabrielle were still

asleep.

Eve looked over and smiled at her mother. "Morning, Mom. We fed the

horses."

"Thanks, Eve. Good morning, Adora." Adora didn't answer her. She was

sitting on the grass watching her father sleep. "Adora, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Adora replied in a monotone voice. "But Papa's not.

Something is bothering him and it's making him so sad." She looked up at Xena

with tears in her dark eyes. "It

has something to do with me and it's making Papa sad. Auntie Xena, why

is Papa sad? Have I been really bad?"

No, Adora. You haven't been bad," Xena reassured the little girl with a

smile.

"I didn't mean to hurt you yesterday. I'm sorry, Auntie Xena!"

Xena looked at her in surprise. "You knew that you burned me

yesterday?"

Adora nodded and then began to cry. "I'm sorry! I was just afraid. I'm

so scared!"

Joxer, hearing his daughter crying, woke up fully and glared angrily at

Xena. "You told her! I would have told her. How could you?" He then

took his daughter into his arms to

try and comfort her.

"Joxer, calm down! I didn't tell her. She knows something. Adora, tell

us what you know."

Gabrielle, who woke up at Joxer's shouting, placed her arms around

Joxer. Adora looked at them then back at Eve. Eve walked forward and stood

next to her friend. "Adora's been

seeing things. She can see her father no matter where he is. I'm not

sure how she does it, but she can. " Eve looked at Adora, wondering if

she should continue. Adora just buried

her head into her father's chest. Eve swallowed hard. "She can also

heal. I fell off Spirit last week and broke my arm. Adora healed it. We

never said anything because we were

afraid."

Xena bent down to her daughter. "Eve, you don't have to be afraid to

tell us anything."

Adora suddenly pulled away from Joxer. "I'm not normal! I'm nothing but

a freak!"

Adora started to run but Joxer grabbed her too quickly. "You're NOT a

freak! You're my little girl and I love you, but there's something I

have to tell you and I guess now is the

best time." He swallowed as he gazed into his daughter's eyes. "Dorie,

you're a demigod. That means that you're half god."

Adora looked at Eve and they both smiled. "Oh Papa, is that all? I'm

half god!" She turned to Eve. "Eve, did you hear that?"

Eve smiled. "Yes! Oh Dorie, that's great! Do you know what this means?"

Adora laughed. "Yes I do!" She looked at her father's confused face as

she hugged him. "Oh Papa, I knew it! I just knew it!"

"Knew what, sweetie?"

"That Aphrodite was my mother!"