Part Four:
Joxer stared back at Xena and Gabrielle, his eyes pleading for help.
Gabrielle placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He swallowed hard and
looked at his daughter. "Dorie,
uh... ahhh... Aphrodite's not your mother."
"She's not? But I don't understand! You told me I was a demigod. If
she's not my mother, who is?"
Joxer ran his hand through his hair, closed his eyes then slowly drew a
breath, "I am."
Adora looked at him strangely. "Look, I may only be six years old, but
I didn't just fall off the hay wagon! You're a man, not a woman."
"I was when I had you."
"Let me get this straight: you're my mother, not my father?"
"No, I'm your father, but I'm also your mother."
"This is confusing."
Gabrielle stepped in, knowing Joxer was having trouble. "Dorie, it's
like this. We went to Gaul and Joxer and his brothers were taken by their
God of War..."
An hour later, Gabrielle was done with her explanation. They all waited
uneasily for Adora's reaction. "I'm a demigod. My papa is really my
mother. I have powers, but hey, I
can live with that, no biggie. Now I'm just going to go do my morning
chores and not think about it. You guys just go on and do what you do
every morning."
Joxer placed his arms around Adora. "Dorie, you okay?"
"Sure, Papa. Why wouldn't I be?"
"You don't look okay."
"Sorry. It's just so such to take in, I guess. I need time to think,
Papa."
"I love you, Dorie."
"I know, Papa. Papa, may I go for a ride? I need to think."
Xena looked at Joxer, her eyes telling him not to let her go alone. He
nodded in understanding. "Dorie, why don't you and I go into town and
get some supplies?"
"Sure, Papa if that's what you want."
Joxer smiled at her then turned to Xena. "May Eve come too?"
"I don't know, Joxer."
"Oh, please Mom? Please, may I go? Uncle Joxer can look after us."
"Not today, Eve. I think Joxer and Dorie need to talk more, all right?"
Eve looked disappointed but agreed. "Okay, Mom."
Adora looked sad, but she said nothing. She mounted Blue while she
waited for her father to mount his horse. When they had gone a short
distance, Adora rode next to her father.
"Papa, tell me what you know of that God of War."
Joxer nodded then told her everything. Adora thought for a moment then
asked him something that bothered her, "Papa, if my powers were gone
when I was a baby, then
why are they back now?"
"I don't know, Dorie. I just don't know."
Joxer stared back at Xena and Gabrielle, his eyes pleading for help.
Gabrielle placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He swallowed hard and
looked at his daughter. "Dorie,
uh... ahhh... Aphrodite's not your mother."
"She's not? But I don't understand! You told me I was a demigod. If
she's not my mother, who is?"
Joxer ran his hand through his hair, closed his eyes then slowly drew a
breath, "I am."
Adora looked at him strangely. "Look, I may only be six years old, but
I didn't just fall off the hay wagon! You're a man, not a woman."
"I was when I had you."
"Let me get this straight: you're my mother, not my father?"
"No, I'm your father, but I'm also your mother."
"This is confusing."
Gabrielle stepped in, knowing Joxer was having trouble. "Dorie, it's
like this. We went to Gaul and Joxer and his brothers were taken by their
God of War..."
An hour later, Gabrielle was done with her explanation. They all waited
uneasily for Adora's reaction. "I'm a demigod. My papa is really my
mother. I have powers, but hey, I
can live with that, no biggie. Now I'm just going to go do my morning
chores and not think about it. You guys just go on and do what you do
every morning."
Joxer placed his arms around Adora. "Dorie, you okay?"
"Sure, Papa. Why wouldn't I be?"
"You don't look okay."
"Sorry. It's just so such to take in, I guess. I need time to think,
Papa."
"I love you, Dorie."
"I know, Papa. Papa, may I go for a ride? I need to think."
Xena looked at Joxer, her eyes telling him not to let her go alone. He
nodded in understanding. "Dorie, why don't you and I go into town and
get some supplies?"
"Sure, Papa if that's what you want."
Joxer smiled at her then turned to Xena. "May Eve come too?"
"I don't know, Joxer."
"Oh, please Mom? Please, may I go? Uncle Joxer can look after us."
"Not today, Eve. I think Joxer and Dorie need to talk more, all right?"
Eve looked disappointed but agreed. "Okay, Mom."
Adora looked sad, but she said nothing. She mounted Blue while she
waited for her father to mount his horse. When they had gone a short
distance, Adora rode next to her father.
"Papa, tell me what you know of that God of War."
Joxer nodded then told her everything. Adora thought for a moment then
asked him something that bothered her, "Papa, if my powers were gone
when I was a baby, then
why are they back now?"
"I don't know, Dorie. I just don't know."