Back in the cave, Taro had finally drifted off to sleep, though not very peacefully with all the worries that he had at the moment. He was asleep for no longer than five minutes, when a sound suddenly woke him up. He lifted his head up from the ground and scanned the cave. All seemed calm and quiet. He spotted Ace sitting on the ground and leaning against a boulder. He was sound asleep. Taro, didn't know how long Xena had been gone and he was beginning to wonder whether something was delaying her. If someone caught her stealing the antidote, it would mean bad news for all of them.

Taro, was just about to fall asleep again, when he heard a twig snap. He quickly sat up, and attempted to stand, fearing that it might be a night patroller. Even if it was, he knew that he wouldn't be able to defend himself, not in this condition. He was completely helpless. Leaning his hands on a boulder, he tried desperately to lift himself up, as he heard something running their way at a fast pace. He had just made it to his feet when a familiar figure came rushing through the entrance of the cave. Taro breathed a long sigh of relief.

"Taro…,"Xena said, trying to catch her breath from running, "are you ok?"

"Uh…yeah, I guess. What kept you so long,…I was afraid you weren't going to make it back."

"Yeah, well, I ran into…a couple of "difficulties." But, don't worry, I dealt with them rather nicely," Xena said with pride. Taro, decided not to ask her what "sort" of difficulties.

"But, did you get it?"

"Yeah…I got it."

Taro, then felt a lode of relief and was about to take a step towards her, to thank her, when his legs went numb and gave out on him. He stumbled to the ground, and he could see Xena rush forward, in order to grab him, even though she was a little late. He laid on his stomach with his arms slightly above his head. He could feel himself beginning to lose consciousness. He tried to lift himself up, but he just couldn't. He felt Xena's hands on his shoulders as she began to turn him over on to his back. She was saying something, but he couldn't understand what. He was starting to lose all sense of reality. If his vision hadn't gone blurry he would have been able to see the look of fear on Xena's face.

Xena, quickly turned Taro over on to his back, and placed his head on her lap, though he probably didn't notice. Her heart almost pounded out of her chest as her thoughts were racing on what to do. She was losing him fast, so whatever she was going to do, she had to do it now! Just as she was beginning to feel completely lost, she suddenly remembered the antidote. With great agility, she reached to her belt and pulled out the little brown bottle she stuck there. She was even so anxious as to rip the sealed cap off with her teeth. She knew that it was suppose to be administered by injection, but there was no time. She held the bottle over Taro's mouth and began to pour it out. A thin clear liquid proceeded from the bottle. She tried to get him to swallow as much as she could, and just prayed that it would be enough.

Once she used all the medicine, Xena could do nothing but wait. Without moving his head from her lap, Xena just sat still staring at him, waiting for him to respond. He had lost consciousness and now laid motionless. He was breathing, though, which at least showed her he was still alive, but it was slow and shallow. She placed a hand over the center of his chest so she could feel his breathing, since for some reason it slightly comforted her. "What if the antidote didn't work!"Xena thought to herself, her mind filling with panic. It was never actually tested on anyone. It was only a likely theory made by a scientist. But, it had to work. It just had to!

"Taro,…you have to be alright," Xena whispered aloud, "If your not, I'll kill you," she chocked on a sob as tears began to swell up in her eyes.

As if he could read her mind, Taro began to slightly turn his head and let out a low moan. He was coming to! Xena's heart leapt with excitement, as she noticed him beginning to stir.

"Xena?" he whispered under his breath as he was becoming conscious.

"Taro! Taro, are you alright?"

"What happened?" Taro asked drowsily, while reaching up to rub his head.

"You passed out, but it doesn't matter. The medicines working! Do you think you can stand?"

"I don't know. I guess I can try-," Taro cut himself off when he suddenly noticed his head was laying on Xena's lap. He looked up at her in bewilderment, and it was at this time that he could tell by the look on her face that she truly cared about him. This was also the first time he ever saw her smile. She was so beautiful.

When Xena noticed the way he was looking at her, probably from surprise of her being so happy about his recovery, she turned her head away, and asked, "Would you like me to help you up?"

Realizing he was making her uncomfortable, he stopped staring at her and answered with, "Uh, sure."

She helped him sit up and he got up the rest of the way on his own, which surprised her. "I guess he really is cured, "Xena thought to herself.

They were both now standing in front of each. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Taro decided to break the ice. "I, uh…never got the chance to thank you…for what you did for me." Xena said nothing and just starred at the ground . A strange sense of tenseness filled the air that neither one of them could recognize. Taro decided to continue, "I really appreciate it, and I, uh..am glad to be able to call you my friend."

Xena, then looked up and starred at Taro in a way that she never did before and he responded the same way. They both then felt this sudden impulse that seemed to make them feel drawn to each other. Neither of them paid any attention to their surroundings, or even the fact that Taro's brother Ace was still sleeping through this whole thing. Without even realizing it, Taro took a couple steps forward, until they were only inches apart. Xena almost took a step back but didn't, not knowing why, but also not caring. Then, to her horror, she found herself instinctively beginning to lean forward. With her face coming closer to taro's.

Taro, felt his heart skip a beat as he realized how close he and Xena were. And he felt like he was about to have a heart attack, as he noticed her leaning forward. He was completely terrified. He didn't have a clue what to do. He'd never been in such a situation before. As she kept leaning forward, her face coming closer to his, his mind screamed at himself to step back and stop her from whatever it was she was doing. But he didn't. He just couldn't bring himself to do it. For one shocking reason. He wanted her to! He wanted her! He couldn't hold it back any longer. So, he too leaned forward. Until, their mouths finally touched.

Time froze, at least for them it did. Nothing else mattered to them except each other. Taro was now feeling things he never thought he could. He felt his whole body beginning to heat up. Sort of like a fever, only this was way more pleasant and desired. It felt strange for a moment…her mouth against his, but he soon got used to it. He never did kiss a girl before, other than his mother, of course, but this was different. This was wonderful! Just when Taro didn't think it could get any better, Xena surprised him by beginning to move her mouth over his. This was all foreign to him so he thought he would let her lead the way, but he soon began to catch on. His hands found their way to her waist and he angled his head to the side, so that he could deepen the kiss. Before Taro knew what he was doing, he had leaned her down and was now laying over her on the rock ground. She had rapped both arms around his neck and tried desperately to press her body up against his by slightly arching her back from the ground.

They continued in this way for several minutes, until Xena un-expectantly pulled out of the kiss, with a serious look on her face, as she seemed to be listening to something.

"What is it?" Taro asked confused.

"I hear something."

"What?"

After taking a second trying to distinguish the sound, Xena suddenly looked to the other side of the cave, right at those glowing red rocks that Ace had lit earlier. Her face grew with fear as she quickly got up from the ground practically pushing Taro off of her. She rushed over to the rocks, looking at them for a second and then back over at taro, who was now standing too, with a furious look on her face.

"What's wrong?" Taro asked now worried.

"Did you do this?!," her voice was firm and demanding.

"No, Ace. Why? What's wrong?!"

"That was a stupid thing to do!"

Her frantic shouting finally woke up Ace, who had seemed dead to the world, until now.

'What's going on?" Ace asked confused as he stood up and saw Taro standing in perfect health. "Taro, are you okay?!"

"Never mind that! We have to put out these rocks, now!"

Ace and Taro, both looked at each other as she started to try and stamp out the rocks light with her black boots. Taro was about to ask her again about what was going on, when he suddenly heard a strange continuous sound. Ace heard it to. It started as a low buzzing, but quickly began to get louder.

"What's that!?"

Xena stopped pounding out the rocks and turned to them both with a look of panic and seriousness, "We have to get out of here!" She started heading towards the exit when Taro stopped her.

"Wait! What's happening? What's wrong?!"

"Their coming! We have to go now, or they'll kill us!"Xena desperately tried to pull out of his grip.

"Kill us? Who?!"

Xena suddenly stopped struggling and looked at him with a blank expression, before saying in a dull voice, "Their attracted to light."

Taro then glanced over at the lighted rocks, before looking out into the darkness of the forest, where that buzzing sound was coming from. It got louder and louder, until finally Taro could make out these odd shapes coming towards them. He looked closer, and when he could finally make out the shapes he gasped in shock. There, flying towards them, were hundreds of gigantic blood sucking mosquitoes! Yes, mosquitoes. Each of them at least two feet long.