Part Nine:
That night after the wedding celebration and Iolaus and White Dove left
for a short honeymoon, Joxer was tucking Adora into bed. She smiled up
at him. "Oh Papa, wasn't
the wedding nice? I thought White Dove looked so beautiful and I
couldn't believe how Aphrodite could sign in White Dove's language."
Joxer smiled at his daughter. "Well, she's a Goddess, Dorie." He gently
tousled her hair, making her giggle. "Now it's time for the sandman to
come visit you so can go to the
land of Morpheus."
"Papa, I'm not sleepy. Could you tell me a story?"
"What kind of story?"
Adora's eyes sparkled with excitement. "A story about a princess!"
"Yeah, a princess!" Eve chimed in.
Joxer looked over at Eve, who was now sitting up and grinned at her.
"Okay. But you two get under the quilts before I start." Both girls
scurried under the quilts. Joxer smiled and
began his story. "A long time ago in a far off land called Poteidaia,
there lived a peasant girl named Gabrielle..."
"Papa, Gabrielle's not a princess!" Adora protested.
"Hey! Who's telling this story?" Joxer asked, folding his arms over his
chest and gazing at them sternly.
"You are, Uncle Joxer."
"Good. Now listen and don't interrupt."
Both girls giggled. Eve saw Gabrielle standing at the door and smiled
at her. Gabrielle placed her finger to her lips, silently telling Eve
not to say that she was there. Eve nodded
and looked up at Joxer with shining blue eyes. "Go on, Uncle Joxer.
Tell us more."
Joxer nodded. "All right. Now, Gabrielle was very unhappy. She longed
for adventure, thrills, and excitement, but she felt that it was
hopeless because she was trapped in
Poteidaia. She was sad because she was told that she was to marry an
ogre's son so the village would not be destroyed..."
"An ogre's son, Papa? I thought Aunt Gabrielle loved the man she
married."
"This was before Perdicas," Joxer explained.
"Oh, okay." Adora looked at her father curiously. "So, what happened?"
"Gabrielle didn't want to marry him, so she ran out into the barn to
cry. Suddenly, she heard a war cry..."
Joxer did an imitation of Xena's war cry that had both Eve and Adora
laughing and Gabrielle trying hard not to laugh, but the cry summoned
Hercules and Xena. Gabrielle
whispered, *"Be quiet. Joxer's telling the girls a story!"*
*"I thought that he was strangling a chicken, being the great chicken
liberator that he is and all that!"* Xena snickered.
*"Actually, he was doing your war cry,"* Gabrielle explained over her
soft giggles. Xena's mouth dropped open in shock.
*"SHHH!"* Hercules hissed and the adults quieted down just as the girls
stopped laughing.
Joxer looked at the girls, lips twisting up into a pout. "Hey! It
wasn't that bad."
Both girls reached up and gave him a hug and then Eve said, "It was
great, Uncle Joxer!" Gabrielle clapped her hands over her mouth to stop
herself from laughing out loud and
Xena rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, it was. What happened next, Papa?" Adora asked.
"Well, Dorie, Gabrielle looked up and saw a beautiful woman riding a
blond horse coming down from the sky..." Joxer continued.
*"Oh, good grief!"* Xena mumbled under her breath.
*"SSSHHH!"* Hercules and Gabrielle hushed their friend so they could
listen to Joxer's story.
"Who are you?" Gabrielle asked.
"I am Xena and I am here to help you, Princess Gabrielle."
"But I'm not a princess. I'm nothing but a peasant."
"You ARE a princess! Now stop arguing with me!" At that, Gabrielle
turned to Xena, who was rolling her eyes and trying not to burst into
laughter at the same time.
*"He's got you down perfectly, Xena!"* Gabrielle whispered with a wide
grin on her face.
*"Hush!"* Xena growled, shaking her head.
"Does that mean my parents are really a king and queen?"
"Yeah, it does. Now do you want to be a princess again or what?"
"Yes, but I have to marry the ogre's son or he will destroy the
village."
"Don't worry about that. I can take care of them." Xena waved her sword
in the air a couple of times. "There. It's done."
"What did you do?"
"Oh, I sent them back to where they belong. You're safe from them..."
"Papa, Xena doesn't have powers!"
"Adora, it's a story! Be quiet! I want to hear the rest of it."
"Okay. Sorry Papa, Eve."
"That's okay, honey." Joxer stroked his chin. "Now where was I?" he
asked.
"Mom had just gotten rid of the ogres," Eve said.
Joxer nodded. "Oh yeah! Thanks, Eve. So, Xena said to Princess
Gabrielle, "Now you must come with me. Together, we will fight wrongs and sing
songs."
"Good. I love to sing!" Gabrielle began to sing.
Xena looked at her and said, "Hmmm. Maybe singing songs isn't really
our gig..."
*"Cheap shot!"* Hercules snorted softly. Gabrielle hit him on the arm
and stuck her tongue out at him.
Xena made a SSSHHH noise and they tried to quiet down again as Joxer
continued his story. "Maybe not, but we can help people."
"Yes, so let's go..."
"They traveled together for a long time. They met some Amazons one day
and after they helped settled trouble between them and the centaurs,
Gabrielle became an Amazon
Princess. She said to Xena with a smile, "I am now a princess again.
Thank you, Xena."
"You still need to find your prince," Xena reminded Gabrielle.
"I know that I'll find him someday."
"Now there was this evil person who was doing bad things. Xena and
Gabrielle knew they had to stop her - and they did. But they also met a
strange man. He was wearing the
most unusual armor and the weirdest helmet that either of them had seen
and his fighting skills stunk. Gabrielle looked at him. "What a loser!"
she said to Xena..."
"Papa! Gabrielle would never call you a loser!" Adora shouted,
interrupting Joxer again.
Joxer kissed her on the forehead and smiled. "Shhh. It's just a story,
Dorie."
Adora returned the smile. "I know, Papa."
Xena stared at Gabrielle and said, "That loser's your prince and
someday you'll know it!"
*"I think I'm going to be deathly ill!"* Xena whispered, rolling her
eyes. Hercules and Gabrielle glared at her.
"Gabrielle looked at the man and then back at Xena. "Uh uh! No way,
Xena! The day he becomes my prince is the day I eat mashed peas and I hate
mashed peas!"
"Okay, I will hold you to that," Xena replied.
Joxer smiled at the girls. "That's the end."
"But you never told us if Princess Gabrielle fell in love with the man,
Papa!"
"She did, Adora."
"Yeah? How do you know that, Eve?" Adora asked curiously.
"I saw Aunt Gabrielle eating mashed peas," Eve replied, making a face.
"Yuck!"
Joxer laughed and kissed the girls goodnight. He started to rise to his
feet when Adora softly called out, "Wait, Papa."
"What is it, Dorie?"
"Could you sing something? I'm still not sleepy."
Joxer gazed at his daughter then turned to Eve, who nodded eagerly.
"Okay. Just one song," he agreed as he sat down on the side of the bed
again. He softly sang one of his
mother's favorite songs to them in French, watching as their eyes
slowly closed and they fell asleep.
Hercules, listening to Joxer singing, blinked in surprise. *"He really
has a nice voice!"* he whispered. He gazed at Joxer for a moment,
remembering when he had first met Joxer
and the way he used to dress and act. He turned around to gaze at Xena
and Gabrielle, both of whom smiled and nodded in agreement. They turned
back to watch.
Joxer finished his song, and seeing that both the girls were sound
asleep, he leaned over and kissed them both gently on the forehead. *"Bon
nuit,"* he murmured with a smile.
"Come on. Let's go before he sees us!" Gabrielle whispered. The three
turned around and quickly left the hallway as Joxer rose to his feet and
blew the candle that was sitting on
the small table next to the bed out. Then he walked from the room and
back into the main room. He looked at everyone sitting around the fire.
"Well?" Joxer asked, leaning against the wall and folding his arms over
his chest.
"Well what?" asked Hercules.
"Did you enjoy the story?"
Hercules' face fell. "You heard us?"
Joxer laughed softly. "You guys are about as quiet as a herd of baby
water buffalo with all your whispering and making SSHHH noises! So, did
you like the story or not?"
Gabrielle smiled as she rose to her feet and kissed him. "I loved it,
my prince."
Joxer returned the kiss and murmured, "I'm glad, my princess."
*****
That night after the wedding celebration and Iolaus and White Dove left
for a short honeymoon, Joxer was tucking Adora into bed. She smiled up
at him. "Oh Papa, wasn't
the wedding nice? I thought White Dove looked so beautiful and I
couldn't believe how Aphrodite could sign in White Dove's language."
Joxer smiled at his daughter. "Well, she's a Goddess, Dorie." He gently
tousled her hair, making her giggle. "Now it's time for the sandman to
come visit you so can go to the
land of Morpheus."
"Papa, I'm not sleepy. Could you tell me a story?"
"What kind of story?"
Adora's eyes sparkled with excitement. "A story about a princess!"
"Yeah, a princess!" Eve chimed in.
Joxer looked over at Eve, who was now sitting up and grinned at her.
"Okay. But you two get under the quilts before I start." Both girls
scurried under the quilts. Joxer smiled and
began his story. "A long time ago in a far off land called Poteidaia,
there lived a peasant girl named Gabrielle..."
"Papa, Gabrielle's not a princess!" Adora protested.
"Hey! Who's telling this story?" Joxer asked, folding his arms over his
chest and gazing at them sternly.
"You are, Uncle Joxer."
"Good. Now listen and don't interrupt."
Both girls giggled. Eve saw Gabrielle standing at the door and smiled
at her. Gabrielle placed her finger to her lips, silently telling Eve
not to say that she was there. Eve nodded
and looked up at Joxer with shining blue eyes. "Go on, Uncle Joxer.
Tell us more."
Joxer nodded. "All right. Now, Gabrielle was very unhappy. She longed
for adventure, thrills, and excitement, but she felt that it was
hopeless because she was trapped in
Poteidaia. She was sad because she was told that she was to marry an
ogre's son so the village would not be destroyed..."
"An ogre's son, Papa? I thought Aunt Gabrielle loved the man she
married."
"This was before Perdicas," Joxer explained.
"Oh, okay." Adora looked at her father curiously. "So, what happened?"
"Gabrielle didn't want to marry him, so she ran out into the barn to
cry. Suddenly, she heard a war cry..."
Joxer did an imitation of Xena's war cry that had both Eve and Adora
laughing and Gabrielle trying hard not to laugh, but the cry summoned
Hercules and Xena. Gabrielle
whispered, *"Be quiet. Joxer's telling the girls a story!"*
*"I thought that he was strangling a chicken, being the great chicken
liberator that he is and all that!"* Xena snickered.
*"Actually, he was doing your war cry,"* Gabrielle explained over her
soft giggles. Xena's mouth dropped open in shock.
*"SHHH!"* Hercules hissed and the adults quieted down just as the girls
stopped laughing.
Joxer looked at the girls, lips twisting up into a pout. "Hey! It
wasn't that bad."
Both girls reached up and gave him a hug and then Eve said, "It was
great, Uncle Joxer!" Gabrielle clapped her hands over her mouth to stop
herself from laughing out loud and
Xena rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, it was. What happened next, Papa?" Adora asked.
"Well, Dorie, Gabrielle looked up and saw a beautiful woman riding a
blond horse coming down from the sky..." Joxer continued.
*"Oh, good grief!"* Xena mumbled under her breath.
*"SSSHHH!"* Hercules and Gabrielle hushed their friend so they could
listen to Joxer's story.
"Who are you?" Gabrielle asked.
"I am Xena and I am here to help you, Princess Gabrielle."
"But I'm not a princess. I'm nothing but a peasant."
"You ARE a princess! Now stop arguing with me!" At that, Gabrielle
turned to Xena, who was rolling her eyes and trying not to burst into
laughter at the same time.
*"He's got you down perfectly, Xena!"* Gabrielle whispered with a wide
grin on her face.
*"Hush!"* Xena growled, shaking her head.
"Does that mean my parents are really a king and queen?"
"Yeah, it does. Now do you want to be a princess again or what?"
"Yes, but I have to marry the ogre's son or he will destroy the
village."
"Don't worry about that. I can take care of them." Xena waved her sword
in the air a couple of times. "There. It's done."
"What did you do?"
"Oh, I sent them back to where they belong. You're safe from them..."
"Papa, Xena doesn't have powers!"
"Adora, it's a story! Be quiet! I want to hear the rest of it."
"Okay. Sorry Papa, Eve."
"That's okay, honey." Joxer stroked his chin. "Now where was I?" he
asked.
"Mom had just gotten rid of the ogres," Eve said.
Joxer nodded. "Oh yeah! Thanks, Eve. So, Xena said to Princess
Gabrielle, "Now you must come with me. Together, we will fight wrongs and sing
songs."
"Good. I love to sing!" Gabrielle began to sing.
Xena looked at her and said, "Hmmm. Maybe singing songs isn't really
our gig..."
*"Cheap shot!"* Hercules snorted softly. Gabrielle hit him on the arm
and stuck her tongue out at him.
Xena made a SSSHHH noise and they tried to quiet down again as Joxer
continued his story. "Maybe not, but we can help people."
"Yes, so let's go..."
"They traveled together for a long time. They met some Amazons one day
and after they helped settled trouble between them and the centaurs,
Gabrielle became an Amazon
Princess. She said to Xena with a smile, "I am now a princess again.
Thank you, Xena."
"You still need to find your prince," Xena reminded Gabrielle.
"I know that I'll find him someday."
"Now there was this evil person who was doing bad things. Xena and
Gabrielle knew they had to stop her - and they did. But they also met a
strange man. He was wearing the
most unusual armor and the weirdest helmet that either of them had seen
and his fighting skills stunk. Gabrielle looked at him. "What a loser!"
she said to Xena..."
"Papa! Gabrielle would never call you a loser!" Adora shouted,
interrupting Joxer again.
Joxer kissed her on the forehead and smiled. "Shhh. It's just a story,
Dorie."
Adora returned the smile. "I know, Papa."
Xena stared at Gabrielle and said, "That loser's your prince and
someday you'll know it!"
*"I think I'm going to be deathly ill!"* Xena whispered, rolling her
eyes. Hercules and Gabrielle glared at her.
"Gabrielle looked at the man and then back at Xena. "Uh uh! No way,
Xena! The day he becomes my prince is the day I eat mashed peas and I hate
mashed peas!"
"Okay, I will hold you to that," Xena replied.
Joxer smiled at the girls. "That's the end."
"But you never told us if Princess Gabrielle fell in love with the man,
Papa!"
"She did, Adora."
"Yeah? How do you know that, Eve?" Adora asked curiously.
"I saw Aunt Gabrielle eating mashed peas," Eve replied, making a face.
"Yuck!"
Joxer laughed and kissed the girls goodnight. He started to rise to his
feet when Adora softly called out, "Wait, Papa."
"What is it, Dorie?"
"Could you sing something? I'm still not sleepy."
Joxer gazed at his daughter then turned to Eve, who nodded eagerly.
"Okay. Just one song," he agreed as he sat down on the side of the bed
again. He softly sang one of his
mother's favorite songs to them in French, watching as their eyes
slowly closed and they fell asleep.
Hercules, listening to Joxer singing, blinked in surprise. *"He really
has a nice voice!"* he whispered. He gazed at Joxer for a moment,
remembering when he had first met Joxer
and the way he used to dress and act. He turned around to gaze at Xena
and Gabrielle, both of whom smiled and nodded in agreement. They turned
back to watch.
Joxer finished his song, and seeing that both the girls were sound
asleep, he leaned over and kissed them both gently on the forehead. *"Bon
nuit,"* he murmured with a smile.
"Come on. Let's go before he sees us!" Gabrielle whispered. The three
turned around and quickly left the hallway as Joxer rose to his feet and
blew the candle that was sitting on
the small table next to the bed out. Then he walked from the room and
back into the main room. He looked at everyone sitting around the fire.
"Well?" Joxer asked, leaning against the wall and folding his arms over
his chest.
"Well what?" asked Hercules.
"Did you enjoy the story?"
Hercules' face fell. "You heard us?"
Joxer laughed softly. "You guys are about as quiet as a herd of baby
water buffalo with all your whispering and making SSHHH noises! So, did
you like the story or not?"
Gabrielle smiled as she rose to her feet and kissed him. "I loved it,
my prince."
Joxer returned the kiss and murmured, "I'm glad, my princess."
*****