Author's Note: I know it's been a long time since I updated this story...but I am going to finish it! To that my life has been incredibly and undeniably hectic is an understatement. So here's hoping that you guys like this chapter!

"STOP!" Joxer cried out and placed himself between Elaine and Gabrielle.

The authority in which he said the word making Gabrielle instantly stop and look into his eyes.

Eyes that were filled with anger, and they were aimed towards her.

Gabrielle wanted to talk to him, wanted to try and reason with him about leaving with Elaine. Feeling almost desperate that he stay with her and Xena.

Opening her mouth she was about to say something when Joxer just turned and kneeled down to help Elaine once more.

She watched as his gentle hands went to Elaine's now bloodied nose. Watched as he touched Elaine with hesitance.

"I'm ok." Elaine assured as Joxer tried to inspect the damage.

"No your not! She broke it!" Joxer tried to keep calm about what Gabrielle had done, he really did.

But the blood that continued to pool down Elaine's face making his anger flare at Gabrielle like it never had before.

Gabrielle heard it though. Heard the way that Joxer referred to her as 'she' with such venom.

It stung. To hear him speak about her like that, like they hadn't traveled the world together for years. Like she was some thug that assaulted the person he…

She couldn't complete the thought without her heart clenching.

The second she had hit Elaine she had felt a satisfaction of causing her the pain that she was feeling right now in her heart.

But from the look on Joxer's face, she knew she had just pushed him farther away from her, and closer to Elaine.

The look on Joxer's face as he cared for her made the clenching in Gabrielle's heart throb as though an arrow was digging it's way through. It hurt to see the obvious emotions in his eyes.

Eye's that had once looked at her like that, eyes that now were looking at another.

Jarred back to her surrounds, Xena had grabbed Gabrielle and quickly dragged her away from the scene.

"Are you out of your mind?!" Xena exclaimed. "Since when do you use violence before trying to talk something out?!"

Of course Xena said this while continuing to pull Gabrielle away from the three gods and new couple.

"Xena….right now is not the time for a lecture." Gabrielle's voice said with a hitch in it.

She had been trying to hold back the tears that now continually wanted to break free from her eyes.

Xena whirled and pointed her finger at Gabrielle's face. "NO! No! You have absolutely no right to cry." Xena's own emotions all over the place. Not just from the hormones that she now knew were in her system…but from the idea that the people she loved were being torn apart from each other.

Gabrielle's eyes widened at Xena's outburst, but then they narrowed. "No right? No right! You do realize what's happening don't you? You realize that whoever the hell that girl is….she's trying to rip Joxer away from us. I mean…I can feel it?! Can't you feel it?!"

Xena closed her eyes and tried to calm down. Her anger wasn't at Gabrielle. If anything, Xena had wanted to be the one to punch Elaine. But though she felt hatred for Elaine, Xena knew that Elaine had opened her eyes to some very real truths. Things that she had honestly been unaware of.

Sadly Elaine had been right. In all of the time that Xena had been trying to fight the visions that she had been having, trying to avoid the fate that had befallen them no matter how hard she had tried to skirt it.

That she had not once thought about Joxer.

But now she was. Now that there was a chance that what Elaine was saying was true…she had to think of Joxer's safety. About how her actions had been affecting Joxer's life.

"YES! Yes I feel it! And the fact of the matter is that you're not doing anything but pushing him away from us by acting out against Elaine." Xena tried hard not to yell. Her own worries about what was happening making her double think her decisions.

Gabrielle locked her jaw and clenched her mouth closed as she closed her eyes. Why was all of this happening?

"Listen to me Gabrielle. What you did back there is only making him defend her. All you've done so far is prove her point. And Joxer's seeing the evidence too." Xena began moving her hand around as she spoke.

Gabrielle's eyes widened and was about to speak when Xena held up her finger once more, indicating for her not to talk.

"No Gabrielle. Right now we might be losing Joxer to a woman we don't know. After what you just pulled we'll be lucky if he doesn't leave with her in the next hour glass! So right now you just need to listen to me."

Gabrielle closed her mouth and swallowed the lump in her throat. The thought that she might never see Joxer again truly terrifying her in that moment. Despite what everyone thought…and how he acted around their group of friends…Joxer was the most loyal and true friend that either Xena or she had ever had.

He had proven to them when it truly mattered that he would never betray them.

Now the closeness that they shared was being ripped away from all of them. Elaine was causing Joxer to doubt that she had ever cared for him…and she had…she DID!

So right now she closed her mouth and listened to Xena, knowing that if Xena had a plan it would be a good one.

"Right now our only option is to let Joxer leave with Elaine without making a fuss." Xena stared straight into Gabrielle's eyes as she said this.

On the other hand…Xena sometimes didn't know what she was doing.

"What?! Are you crazy?!" Gabrielle not able to believe what Xena wanted to allow to happen.

Xena squeezed her eyes tight, trying to get through Gabrielle's thick skull. "Gabrielle…" Xena said through grit teeth, "right now we have three gods that for some reason have taken an interest to this woman. And I have no clue why…but Ares is protecting her. And that alone makes me suspicious of who she is. But right now…if we don't let her leave with Joxer…we might be risking his life."

Xena knew she was exaggerating her excuse, but Xena knew that if she told Gabrielle about what Elaine had said about being responsible for Joxer's death. And at the moment making sure that didn't happen was her number one thought.

Gabrielle's heart doubled at Xena's words. "If you think she might want to kill Joxer WHY would we let her take him?"

Xena saw the fear in Gabrielle's eyes, and felt it in her own being. At the beginning of this day she thought her pregnancy was the scariest thing she was facing.

As of now it was the idea of the only family she had ever known falling apart.

But as Elaine's words bounced around her brain, hearing prophetic words of Joxer's death - Xena knew she had to do everything in her power to stop that from happening.

"Because right now he wants to be with her." Xena said the words, knowing the effect they would have on Gabrielle.

Gabrielle flinched and pulled away from Xena's hold.

Xena sucked in a breath and expelled it. "Gabrielle…"

"Don't!" Gabrielle growled the word as tears came to her eyes and the pain in her chest increased.

"I love him too Gabrielle. I've never told him that you know…that I love him like a little brother…" Xena whispered the words, looking down at the dirt at her feet. "And now for some reason I feel him pulling away from me like he doesn't know me. Like he hasn't known me for years…like he can still see the monster I use to be."

Gabrielle knew she had to tell Xena…knew she had to tell her what had happened. What Elaine had said, and why Joxer was suddenly uncomfortable around her.

The blonde bard braced herself, not knowing how Xena would react to what she was about to say.

"Xena….there's something I need to tell you." Gabrielle whispered the words.

And for some reason…the hair's on the back of Xena's neck stood up at the words.

"Ow."

"Sorry." Joxer winced as he continued to clean Elaine's nose.

Elaine smiled at him, letting him know that she was alright.

"So…are you planning on leaving with Elaine before Xena knocks you out?" Ares asked, quite tired of standing around watching the two interact wit each other. Of course the smirk that would normally follow such a question was quickly squashed as Aprhodite elbowed him in the ribs.

"HA..HA! Ares is such a kidder." Aphrodite tried to keep Joxer from running away from the scared look that crossed his face after Ares' words.

Aphrodite knew she had to fix things and fast. The connection between Xena, Gabrielle, and Joxer was being severed. And if she didn't act fast there would be no repairing it. Everything she had done in the past few years would mean nothing.

Aphrodite had noticed the lack of armor and helmet for Joxer. Not everyone would suspect that she knew what Joxer wore daily, but fashion was one of her hobbies. The change made her beyond worried.

Joxer was changing, and Elaine was causing it.

She had to get her to keep Joxer with Xena and Gabrielle.

"So um...sweetcheeks. I know where your from and all...and I know Gabrielle and Xena haven't left you a good impression...but...don't you think you should give them a chance? I mean...isn't this kind of a dream come true to hang out with the dynamic duo!" Aphrodite gave her brilliant smile, knowing that despite what had been happening, Elaine actually liked Xena and Gabrielle.

Having read her mind earlier, Aphrodite knew that Elaine had been influenced by the two in her life. All she had to do was push the right buttons and voila! Well...maybe not voila...but maybe a tada!

Elaine looked up into Aphrodite's exuberant face and saw in the goddesses' eye that she was worried.

"You know Aphrodite...if you would just be honest with me and tell me why you're worried...I might consider staying and dealing with two women that want to hurt me right now."

Aphrodite's mouth opened in shock and was about to deny anything when Elaine raised her eyebrow and gave her a pointed look. Aphrodite snapped her mouth shut and rolled her eyes letting out a sigh.

"Fine! You and I both know that what your doing can ruin our entire dimension. So will you please, please just travel around with them? Just for a little while!" Aphrodite tried to convince Elaine.

Elaine looked at Joxer's face. He could see the panic in his face at the idea of having to travel around with Xena. After having defended her from Gabrielle he knew that Joxer was more than a little scared to be traveling around with them.

But as Elaine looked over and saw the look in Aprhrodite's eyes...Elaine knew she really was worried.

In that moment Elaine let out a sigh and tried to reason with herself.

On one hand...she did know all of the future events that were going to take place. Technically she could protect not just Joxer...but also Gabrielle and Xena.

Despite everything she really did like Xena. Gabrielle had always rubbed her the wrong way...it wasn't that she thought she was a bad person - it was just that Gabrielle had always been soo cruel to Joxer.

It had always made her mad that to everyone else she had always been so caring and kind. But to the one person that would literally lay down his life for her she would treat like dirt. But Joxer loved her.

Elaine let out a huge sigh, then looked at Joxer once more.

"What do you think?" Elaine asked Joxer.

Joxer fiddled with the cloth that he was cleaning her nose with and looked around them. "I don't know."

Elaine studied him with a cocked head, trying to read him.

"Joxer...as much as things hurt right now..." Elaine stopped, not really knowing what to say to him. He had a look on his face that showed he was conflicted. In the end Elaine knew she had to tell him about the dangers that both women were going to face shortly.

Despite everything she knew Joxer loved them.

"Joxer...I told you I know the future and...I won't lie to you. They're going to be facing things in the future that put them in to great danger."

Joxer's head snapped up and his scared eyes met Elaine's.

"If we travel with them...I might be able to help them. That's if they actually listen to me." Elaine set out a huge sigh.

Joxer gulped, then spoke. "Are...are they going to..."

He wasn't able to even complete the question, fearing the answer to his question.

But Elaine knew, and nodded her head.

Joxer squeezed his eyes shut, almost shuddering with fear. Keeping his eyes closed he nodded his head. "Ok. Ok...we'll stay with them."

Aphrodite would have jumped up and down if it wasn't for Elaine's words.

If Elaine started to change Xena and Gabrielle's future...how would that affect their dimension?

Author's Note: Ok...if you liked...REVIEW! Seriously...should I keep going or stop now?