Chapter 5:Cheating death

Joxer POV

No one could truly understand how devastated I felt about Gabrielle's death and now, to top it all- as if her departure from this world wasn't more than my heart could bear- that cold monster took her away from me... I couldn't even give her a decent funeral...She more than deserved it...She died a hero... I know that Xena would have expected that of me..

Tears in my eyes, I was getting ready to leave that awful place when I suddenly heard a voice calling my name...Shortly after, I heard something else too...the hooves of the horses on the ground.

I quickly turned my gaze in the direction from which I thought they were coming and that's when I saw them. Romans...and they were heading straight towards me- not many, but enough to send me to wherever my friends had left just half an hour before.

Once they were in front of me, despite the fact that I was expecting the worst, a young man carrying a bundel of blankets in his arms dismounted his horse in a rather peaceful attitude. Maybe they were affraid of me...

"Joxer?"

Wait a minute...Did that guy say my name?

I took a good look at him, tears stopping from falling almost instantly and my vision clarifying.

"Octavius!"

"Yes!"

"Joxer where is Xena? She told me to come here."

And than, right before I got the chance to answer his question and tell him all about the tremendous tragedy along with some horrid enough details to keep him awake at night, I heard that familiar cry that I knew so well..it was Eve.

As soon as Octavius unwrapped the blankets that he was holding, I could see her. I was absolutely struck by the fact that Eve was alive..

It was for real...she was actually alive...

"But how...I've seen her dying...?" I asked, barely able to articulate the words, since my brain was still in denial.

Octavius's reply was rudely interrupted though by a bliding, blue light. It was Ares again, and I furiosuly turned around glarring daggers at him just to discover that he was just as surprised about what was happening as I was.

"Whose that child?" he demanded to know and for a moment there I couldn't help asking myself if it was actually possible for him to be oblivious about the fact that the little girl was Xena's daughter...

"It's...Octavius's child...He is the proud father. Isn't that right Octavius?" I uselessly tried to save the day, but I could tell that I had failed miserably the moment he delayed his respons with a few seconds...Not much but enough to shatter my theorie in the eyes of the enemy.

"Yes of course….My child."

Ares glanced at us for a moment longer before grinning widely at me. His mimic made my skin crawl...

"Right...Do you actually think I'm that stupid? Come on , Jinxie, give me that child! "

"Joxer"...I stubbornly corrected in a displeased voice.

Needles to mention that Octavius was petrified. He was just standing there like a statue, without flinching one muscle...When the God reached his hands for the girl, he just gave her to him as if she were an object that wasn't worth fighting for...I still hate him for that...

It only took a split second before Ares vanished once again just as fast as he came.

"Oh..I'm so sorry Joxer, I.."

"I'm sure you are…"I mumbled displeased, angry at my self too for not having reacted in any way myself...

"Xena...where is she? Why is she not here with…."

"Xena..ohh Ares took her too...And Gabrielle...I have no idea where they are, I just know that Ares has them...I wanted to give Gab a decent funeral.."

"A funeral? I trust that you don't know then, do you?"

I threw him a quizzical look and then all of the sudden, he began to laugh. That annoyed the crap out of me. What was so funny?

"I don't know what.?"

"About Xena and Gabrielle ...they are not dead."

That boy had big problemes...Psychological problems...I mean I saw Gabrielle die with my own eyes.

"Have you gone round the twist, Octavius? I saw Gabby die with my own eyes."

"No..you didn't.."

"Yes I did..You can't tell me what I did saw and did not..you weren't even here."

I answered angry.

"It was the plan Joxer..the plan."

"What?" Now I didn't understand any of it.

"Well why do you think they captured Celesta?" I shurgged and he continued."…because they needed her tears. That bottle held the tears of Death... they were supposed to send them into a deep coma for a couple of hours or ...days-we didn't quite know for sure- just enough time for me to take Eve somewhere safe, far away from those crazy Olympians. That was the plan."

I kept listening to him and somehow I couldn't believe it was true. Gabby...she was alive?

My heart started to beat normally again...At least I had hope...

"So you are saying that Gabrielle drank the tears first and that's why she..."

"Yes, she is not dead and neither is Xena "

"No...Xena never had time to drink the tears because Ares stopped her."

"Oh...that was definitely not part of the plan..."

"If Ares learns the truth everything will be lost.."