Hi guys…This chapter and the one after this are in fact about Gab and Eve and what happened during the time Xena was with Ares…so no time moving forward)

Please enjoy!

Chapter 45:Old friend

Gabrielle POV

"Gabby, Gabby..." Eve run agitated towards me.

"What is it sweetie?"

"Mommy, daddy, they're back. They're both back...Look…come and see..." she exclaimed, dragging me to the window.

Indeed, there was someone coming but it was almost impossible to be Xena and Ares...She had just left hours before and I didn't think it was possible to have found Ares that soon…

"Eve, listen to me sweetie..."

"Mommy is coming..."

She began dancing with joy.

"Eve...shh you will wake up Adam." I stopped her, putting my hands on her shoulders to steady her. "Go to your room and take care of your brother, stay there with him ok?"

"But mom…"

"If it is Xena and Ares than I will call for you ok?"

She gave me a cute, disappointed gaze...

"Go on..." I waited till I didn't see her anymore.

Eve was such a sweet child and so obedient, so unlike her mother when it came to patience and this kind of things...She was really smart too, unlike other children of her age, but I guess that having immortal roots was playing a role in that behavior too.

I left the house and waited in front of the porch for someone to come and when they were almost near I could definitely see that it wasn't my friend…Raiders.

"Miss…we are looking for someone..."

One man dismounted his horse and approached me and gave me a parchment with a figure drown on it...It was Ares.

"Do you know him?"

"No...Never saw him in my life…Who is he? Is he dangerous? "

The man gave me a skeptic look.

"It's not good to lie miss...I do hope you know that..."

He whistled and more men on horses appeared.

"Now...I will ask again...Do you know him?"

"No Sir, I told you...and now, please leave before my husband comes back." I had my sais right on the table inside the house so if they would try something I was prepared but I sure hoped there was a way to avoid a fight.

"I would like to talk to him, maybe he knows something…Could we wait inside?"

"He isn't home…I don't know when he comes back and no you can't wait inside...You will wake up the kids!"

"Too bad…" He said and put the knife at my throat. "I say we will wait!"

All my body suddenly tensed, and I was right about to give him a blow in the gut when a spear went through him. When he fell, I could saw who it was.

"Gabrielle..."

"Hercules…"

When all the other men heard who it was, they all run away. That's the kind of reaction you get when you are famous.

"Nice to see you..."

He gave me a tight embrace.

"Gabby!" Eve raised her voice.

I let Hercules go.

"Evie…what are you doing here? I told you to stay put..."

"Eve? Xena's daughter?"

I nodded at Hercules's question.

"She's so big...Hello there sweetie!"

"Hi!" She answered sweetly. "Gabby…" She came next to me… "Who is this?" She asked shyly.

"I knew you when you were a baby Eve...I was there when your mother had you, so beautiful..." Hercules answered in my place...

"Thank you! Are you a friend?"

"He is…a very good one too, Eve..." I uttered.

"I'm Eve."

She extended her little hand for him to take.

"I'm Hercules..." He gave her his hand too, as a broad smile appeared on his lips.

"So...come in..." I led him inside and we all took a seat at the table.

"How...how did you know where we were?" I asked him, really curious and then it's when I heard it...the song…

"Joxer the Mighty
Roams through the countryside
He never needs a place to hide
With Gabby as his sidekick
Fighting with her little stick
Righting wrongs and singing songs
Being mighty all day long
He's Joxer—he's Joxer the Mighty"...

"I guess you have your answer don't you?" Hercules replied, barely restraining a chuckle at my reaction, and then Joxer came into the clearing with a wide awake and curious Adam in his arms.

"Hey Gab…who's this?" Hercules got up from the table as Joxer finally approached us.

"Joxer did you do what I asked?"

When Dite had dropped us there, I went to the market to buy something to eat after we consumed the provisions that she left for us and that's when I met him again.

"Gab...you...is it really you?"

"Joxer? How can it be?" The coincidence was all too big but nonetheless, there he was.

"All this time...I've thought that maybe Ocvtavius was wrong and that you are dead but…I'm so happy to see you..."He took me in a tight embrace.

"Is Xena with you?"

"No...We ran into some troubles."

"Well…that's Xena…And Evie? Is she alright? Did Ares..?"

"Yeah…Look I can't stay too much and explain it to you but …can I ask something of you?"

"Anything..."

"Could you go tell Cyrene that we are alright?"

"Consider it done…"

He kissed me on the cheek and left and I didn't see him since that day, until today, that is.

"Sure...that's when I found him..." he pointed towards Hercules. "The big guy was looking for Xena and you so I led him to you...here…Isn't it great?"

"Gabrielle, where's Xena?" Hercules asked. Now in my head there was such a great dilemma: to tell him or not…

"And who's the child? Is he yours?" he continued.

"No...Gab couldn't…"

"Adam is my brother." Eve added sweetly and looked at me.

"How..? Who..?" Hercules was in a daze.

"Gabby...you didn't tell me anything about Xena having another child and…"

"Joxer…can you please take Eve and go upstairs?"

"But…"

"Me and Hercules must talk. Here...take this bottle with milk for Adam too." Joxer looked upset but in the end he took Eve's hand in his and left.

"What is it? Is it that bad? Is Xena..."

"Xena's fine…I...I don't know how to tell you this..." he waited.

"Things got very complicated since the last time you saw us..."

"I took notice…Well..."

"The child...well….Ares is uh…..." Oh tell him already!

"Ares...my half-brother? What does he have to do with this? Did he hurt Xena or..."

"No…not really..."

"Not really? I will kill him when..."

"No…Maybe I should start with the beginning..."

"I'm all ears."

So what do you think? The big guy is back…Since I didn't watch Hercules so much I kinda left behind on it and I don't really have a clue about what happened to Iolaus in the end, I only know that he was dead and then revived or something…well because of that I will not go into more Iolaus stories so nobody will ask about him ). It's just Hercules…Everything that happened between Xena and him did happened on my story too so...read and find out!

Thanks once again for all the reviews, followings, favorites and of course the support. This all means so much to me!

And a special thanks to my wonderful beta Xentrya…you are the best!