Xena was silently watching Gabrielle from the other side of the road after Armand had informed her that Joxer had turned around and was coming back - with Elaine!

Now normally she would have just broken Joxer's nose for hurting Gabrielle, but she had never known Joxer to hurt Gabrielle intentionally. Especially in any physical way. Gabrielle hadn't told her what had caused the whole thing to spiral into what happened...and Xena was more than just suspicious it had everything to do with this Elaine girl.

Xena really hadn't been concerned about Elaine hanging around Joxer, she had thought that her 'like' for him would soon vanish as his annoying habits began to emerge.

What she hadn't expected was that Joxer had acted different around Elaine. Not as if he was under a spell...but...he was just acting normally.

Not telling stories of his grandeur, not trying to impress her with his 'skills'.

Sadly, she realized that Joxer had been acting like...himself. The person that she had seen all those years ago. Just under the surface of the act that he put up.

It was that person that had won her friendship...and her trust.

Xena's eyes flicked over to the stable, where Gabrielle had entered almost immediately after Xena had made sure she was alright.

Gabrielle wasn't acting like herself one bit. Whatever had been said...well...it had to be something pretty big...

Suddenly she realized that Gabrielle finally knew that Joxer was in love with her.

Xena's brow furrowed as a question quickly formed in her mind.

Could Gabrielle be in love with Joxer?

Xena shook her head with a small chuckle escaping her lips. The idea was...well...

"Xena..."

Joxer's scared wavering voice shocked her.

Xena felt shocked as she took in the sight of the man before her.

Joxer...Joxer didn't have his helmet on. Xena's eyes quickly tried to see the absurd artifact that had always accompanied the man she knew. Instead - she found Elaine's hand wrapped around Joxer's, and as Xena's eyes settle on their hands clasped together, Elaine squeezed Joxer's hand in an assuring way.

"I...I'm sorry...I...I would...I would never...I..." Joxer stuttered out his apology.

"Joxer let his emotions get the best of him, and he's sorry that he hurt Gabrielle. You know Joxer would NEVER intentionally hurt Gabrielle. He's sorry it happened and he's going to make sure it never happens again." Elaine elaborated for Joxer.

Joxer tightened his hand with Elaine's. Saying he was grateful for her words on his behalf.

Elaine stared straight into the warrior princess' eyes, holding Joxer's hand, knowing that Joxer loved Xena and respected her. Knowing just how hard it was to even talk to her...now that he knew that Gabrielle's heart belonged to the warrior woman.

Xena's eyes switched from the unwavering and almost challenging eyes of Elaine, to the hurt and wincing one's of who she considered a friend.

Letting out a sigh Xena began to speak, "Joxer I know that you would never hurt Gabrielle. At least not on purpose."

Xena saw the fear in his eyes as he looked at her - almost as if he was expecting her to hurt him.

"Joxer, she's not going to kill you." Elaine said as her eyes had been examining his as Joxer had been staring into Xena's sky blues.

The statement made her face fall. Joxer's lips contorted in that oh so familiar way, that showed he was afraid nonetheless.

"Xena's still your friend Joxer...she at least cares for you as a friend."

Something with the words didn't sit well with Xena, or the way Joxer was looking at her as if she really would hurt him. Fear...he always had in his eyes when she gave him THE LOOK...but never when she wasn't. Inside her something twisted at the idea that even after all this time...that Joxer could see the monster that she once was.

"Joxer..." Xena starts, a look on her face soft and gentle. Worry furrowing her brow as she sees things flash in Joxer's eyes that she had never seen before. But the one that strikes her the most - is anger.

"I'm leaving with Elaine. I just wanted to warn you about the warlord that's coming. A guy named Darcon." Joxer said as his eyes finally turned away from her own, then jumped to anywhere but to her.

Xena's eyes did flash with anger then...but not at Joxer. Xena's eyes darkened as her eyes beamed into Elaine's.

Elaine though...didn't flinch. Unfazed by Xena completely. And for some reason - it unnerved her.

Xena looked back to Joxer with a stern look on her face, "I think me and Elaine need to have a little chat."

Joxer tensed by Elaine, but Elaine squeezed his hand and looked over and into his eyes with a small smile.

"It's ok." Elaine whispered.

Joxer slowly began to let go of Elaine's hand when Elaine grabbed it again. Joxer stopped and looked at Elaine.

"You should apologize to Gabrielle." Elaine said with a look of sorrow on her face.

Joxer didn't know if that was such a good idea, but as he turned to look at Xena, he received a shadow of a smirk and a little nod. It was all Joxer needed to let go of Elaine's hand and make his way over to the stable.

"I don't know what you said to Joxer, but if you try and turn him against us you've..." Xena began as soon as Joxer was out of ear shot.

Elaine whirled her head and stared daggers at Xena, cutting her off before she could make any threats.

"Don't you dare threaten me! I may be a stranger to you - but not only do I know Joxer's heart and soul...I also know the future events that will lead to his death! And I assure you Xena...you are the one responsible for his death!"

And it was as though Xena had been slapped in the face. A sudden look of anguish covered her face as she looked at Elaine as if she wanted the words revoked...almost the same look Joxer had given her not a few minutes before. But Elaine pressed on, knowing that her words were changing future events and wanting more than anything to be able to keep Joxer alive...and away from the people that had been his reason for living.

"Tell me something Xena...did you ever...once! Just once! - Consider Joxer when you had the visions of yours and Gabrielle's crucifixion?" Elaine asked with an angry furrowed brow.

Xena felt her stomach drop as she heard the question. The idea that this woman knew about her visions immediately making her realize that Elaine knew things that she shouldn't. More though...was the knowledge that she had indeed...not thought about Joxer.

Elaine didn't need Xena to answer, already knowing the answer to the question.

"You don't even know the man you call a friend!! You don't even know that if it wasn't for his nightmares of you being in trouble that you'd still be on that cross frozen as ice!!! That he had been traveling for days to try and reach you! To SAVE YOU!! Did you know that Xena?! Did you know it was Joxer who even thought about taking your bodies back to your homes? That Amarice and Eli were going to just leave you there because it was too dangerous to try and get to you!!"

Xena's stepped back from Elaine, trying to process the tirade Elaine was unleashing on her, and still Xena felt as though she were as small as a newt. The thought hadn't crossed her mind as to why Joxer had even been there - she had just excepted it.

"He pushed them into helping him Xena." Xena's eyes again locked with Elaine's as the anger inside her was somehow boiling over at the sight of a clueless warrior princess.

Elaine tried to calm down...she really did. In the end she just couldn't keep her mouth shut. Knowing what she did - how could she not try and protect the man that these two woman had somehow managed to keep as a friend?

"You don't even see how much he's changed...have you?" Elaine asked as she saw the look in the hormonal mother to be eyes.

It was this that caused the warrior princess to snap out of it.

"You're the one that's changing him! Joxer would never have hurt Gabrielle. Whatever you did to make him..."

"I did nothing! Gabrielle is the one that attacked me! Joxer was defending me!"

Before Xena could protest Elaine continued.

"How could you possibly say that Joxer hasn't changed? Don't you know him at all? Don't you see the small things that he doesn't do any more? Don't you see how the light in his eyes are dull?"

Elaine watched as Xena's face took on a look on inner inspection - her own doubt forcing her to see the things Elaine was explaining. At something in Elaine gave with one simple thought.

Joxer loves Xena like a sister...and he will always be in love with Gabrielle.

Elaine moved her arm in a 'I can't handle this' sort of way, letting out a shuddering sigh. Dropping her hand and again looking at Xena in the eye Elaine spoke.

"I've watched you for years. Seen that Gabrielle was your light in the darkness...your salvation...but not once have you ever questioned what this man is for you. I mean...you've never even told him you love him...not even as a friend! You've never even told him that...and you never will! How do you expect me to walk away from him...to let him continue on a path that we'll leave him heartbroken in more than one way? Would you respect me Xena? Would you honestly say that if you were in my shoes...and Joxer was Gabrielle...could you honestly tell me that you wouldn't do everything in your power to keep her safe?"

The words cut through Xena. Fighting with a sword came second nature to the dark beauty, but the words unleashed on her had all but devastated her. Had she really never said 'I love you' to Joxer? Was she really the reason for his death? And how could she possibly step back and let Elaine shatter a friendship with a man she now doubted she had any right to call friend?

"Joxer knows we care about him."

The words were murmured and barely spoken. But Elaine heard them...and let out a humorless chuckle.

"No. No he doesn't Xena. And he never will...because despite everything that he has ever done for you Xena," Elaine's eyes blazing with conviction stared into the sea blue eyes of the warrioress, "you will never deserve his love."

Xena stood their trembling...of what she wasn't quite sure. All she knew was that this woman had come out of nowhere and was pulling apart the only family that she had had since she was a little girl. Joxer was a part of her family. Even if she had never spoken the words or he had never been sure of her feelings towards him - he would always be her family.

With Elaine's words had come a self realization that she had never considered Joxer in any of her decisions. And Joxer had risked his life...on more than one occasion for her...and even more for Gabrielle. Joxer had never asked anything of her, except to be one of them. A hero...by her side. But as the years had passed she had not noticed that it had become more than that. That Joxer had been seeking more than just her 'sidekick'......Joxer had wanted to be her family.

Gods! Could he really not know that I love him? Have I really messed up so badly with Joxer that I can't even realize when I owe him my life?

The thought plagued her.

If Joxer really didn't know that she cared for him like she had Lyceus ... that they were as close as brother and sister...than she really didn't deserve his love.

Yet as Elaine began to turn towards the stable and walk away from her...Xena realized that somehow this woman had been able to sidestep the main issue.

"Joxer hasn't been the same since you've shown up! He's never laid a hand on Gabrielle before you came along!"

Elaine stopped in her tracks, and turned her head to glare at Xena. A few seconds later Elaine was standing in front of her, anger etched in her features. And with barely contained anger asked two questions that finally broke the warrior princess of any doubts of Elaine...because the words she spoke answered all her questions.

"Tell me something Xena...how does a man not change...after he's pulled down the dead body of the woman he loves off a cross?"

Xena closed her eyes as the words hit her, and the next almost made her crumble.

"How does a man not change...after cradling the dead body of a woman he considered his sister...blaming himself for not dieing in her place?"

And Xena did something that only Gabrielle bard of Potedaea had ever witnessed. Xena allowed herself to cry.

Elaine's anger drained as she realized she had caused the fearless Xena to cry. Ever so slowly Elaine shook her head.

"He deserves more than the life you've given him Xena."

And with that...Elaine walked away.

And there Xena stood, wondering how she would be able to watch Elaine take Joxer away from them.