Author's Note:It's been YEARS! I know! But life has sucked away time and effort to other places and stories! But I felt inspired at 4 am in the morning and had to write this out! Hope you enjoy. Oh...and the bit of poem in this was taken from the movie 'Til there was You' and manipulated slightly for the scene.
Gabrielle was charging back to where she had been dragged away from Joxer and Elaine with a determination to keep Joxer the hell away from the evil woman trying to take Joxer from them and stopped dead in her tracks. A huge shock passing through her system at the sight of another goddess.
And not just any goddess.
Stories of her beauty and just the presence she exuded made Gabrielle instantly know exactly who she was.
"Hera!? Why is Hera here?!" Xena gasped out with eyes bulging in slight panic next to Gabrielle as she too had been shocked at the sight of the goddess and had been staring from a distance. Instantly both women were ready for the big battle that they thought was yet to come and stopped when they heard the goddesses' voice that caused a shiver to even run down Xena's spine.
"There will be no violence today ladies. I'm afraid you are both worrying for no reason." Hera said with the swiveling of her head towards the two women. The blue vibrant eyes of the goddess stunning both women even from the short distance.
A loud growl was heard once more causing Hera to turn slowly and stare with a raised eyebrow at Elaine who immediately blushed.
"Umm...I'm not much for rabbit and porridge, so that's why it's been a day. And it's been two days since I had a proper meal." Elaine explained her bodies noises to the queen of the gods.
The goddess let out a deep long sigh and raised her hand once more where there was suddenly a long sub sandwich.
Elaine's mouth dropped in shock and then her one eyebrow went up with a look at Hera that conveyed the message 'I'm going to need to eat more than that' and 'you read my mind to know exactly what I like and I love you for it!'.
Hera glared at Elaine but raised another hand and produced a bowl of what Elaine recognized as mac and cheese.
Elaine's eyebrows both went up and a huge smile split her face.
"An ultimate sub and macaronni and cheese. My favorite! Thank you Hera." Elaine reached out and took the items and did something that left everyone speechless and flabbergasted.
Elaine leaned over and gave Hera a kiss on the cheek and proceeded to turn and make her way over to a fallen tree and sat down and began to eat.
Joxer had on instinct followed Elaine and sat next to her and away from all the Gods and Goddesses who were still staring at Elaine in shock.
Hera slowly allowed a smile to form on her face as she lowered her hands and turned her head to look at her children.
"A stranger shows me more affection than my own children. How very...unusual... that she seems to understand that I am mother of the Gods and how to treat me as such."
Ares and Aphrodite said nothing as Cupid shrank back towards his mother as his grandmother looked at him with an accusation in her eyes.
"It's not really their fault Hera. I mean...you all have lived for a few thousand years from what I've gathered. Most people move away from their parents at 18! Yours still live at home! Really do any of you ever spend time together...as a family...at all?" Elaine asked looking across the faces of the so called gods and could see by the looks she was receiving that the answer was NO.
Elaine couldn't help but be reminded that she had absolutely no experience with having a family even remotely close. Her family was...
It was in that moment that the God's were reading her thoughts - as they tended to always do - did they all tense as the images of memories flashing in Elaine's head.
Ares felt his entire being tense and an anger he had never felt before shoot through his body.
He had seen many things in his years, disgusting things that humans did...but what he had just seen, he couldn't even fathom how Elaine had survived it.
Aphrodite felt her heart go out to the mortal in a way she had never experienced before. Things like that rarely occurred here since she and her son constantly monitored Greece and the few loyal worshipers that had relocated...but she could never have imagined something quite so devastating as the images that she had just seen. The gasp that she had let out causing Cupid to immediately grab her hand and squeeze tight as a bolt of rage rang through him at the mere idea at what had happened to Elaine.
Hera's initial reading of the girl of how she felt the need for a mother figure had prepared her for some sort of trauma in the girls past, but nothing had prepared her for the actual reason. The images in the girls mind had truly caused the very essence of her to be enraged and beyond protective of the girl who all considered a woman. But she now knew better.
And all of them saw the purity of want of family in Elaine's mind, and the lack thereof of anything pure when it came to her family.
"Well that needs to change! I mean...wouldn't it be easier to coordinate with each other so you can help humans? I mean...why else would you rule over them if not to make their lives better? I doubt ruling over regular humans would be satisfying unless you could. Plus wouldn't it be more prudent to have more humans consider you in their every day lives? Worship you? Don't you guys get a boost in power because of it?" Elaine looked across the faces at these Greek Gods and found the curious looks skitter around from her to the the other powerful beings.
Hera merely gave a small smile. "That was the way it was. As time passed...my children became fickle...and petty. In truth all of us did."
Elaine looked at her with a tilted head and gave the goddess a small frown. "You gave up trying."
Hera inhaled deeply and gave a nod. "I did."
Elaine and Joxer both grimaced. Both knowing how hard it was to keep trying when things were stacked against you.
"But you ah...you could try again to...yah know...make everyone talk with each other." Joxer mumbled out as he still realized he was talking to who he knew to be Gods in a very familiar way. How he even got there was beyond him and he was afraid one wrong word and he would be taken to the underworld.
Eeek!
Joxer was shocked when Hera shared a larger smile then before with him and slowly walked over to him. "You know about continuing to try more than anyone. I must admit...you do have an incredible capacity for love. It is quite rare in humans. Most love selfishly...yet you...you follow two women blindly because the love you had for them outweighed all of the insults and wounds others inflicted on you. The many words they used to make you feel like you were less..." Hera shook her head as Joxer's heartbeat began to beat heavily in his chest which alerted the queen of the Gods that her words were more than he could take.
Elaine stared wide eyed and slack jawed at the Goddess as Joxer looked to stunned to even breathe. And with Hera's next words made Elaine know that despite what little she had seen of the goddess on the tv show...she was not as evil as she had been portrayed to be.
"You are anything but less." Hera said as she raised a hand and caressed Joxer's face.
Hera read his mind and knew that he didn't know how to react to her. He was incredibly scared and yet didn't move a muscle as his mind told him to flee. But Hera slowly placed her other hand on his heart and allowed a feeling of peace to overwhelm him almost. Hera spoke in his mind then. Calmed him in a way that only a mother could or would know how to do. Joxer felt his eyes water as she slowly pulled away from him, and not an ounce of fear from the goddess would ever enter his body again.
Because he knew then. He knew just how much she actually cared, and how little she had been allowed to interfere. She had shared a piece of herself with him...and he knew from it just how rare that was.
Hera again smiled at him and Xena and Gabrielle watched as Joxer returned her smile with a rare real one of his own.
Joxer though jovial barely smiled, and it was rarer that when he did it wasn't for a joke he told or trying to keep from being hit or smacked by either of them.
It made both Xena and Gabrielle extremely uncomfortable to see him give that smile to Hera. Especially after hearing what she had said about Joxer. Xena hadn't ever considered what Joxer would go through trying to even travel with them. Not to mention how many times he would have to convince people that he knew either of them just to be brushed aside or even riddiculed. And then Elaine opened her mouth and made Xena reach for her chakrum in preparation of a huge battle.
"Hera...could you please bless Xena's baby? I know you've read my mind...and...I don't know any other way around what's to come. But...maybe if you blessed her we could avoid...all of it. No big show downs. No big deaths. Just...acceptance of things changing." Elaine said as Hera had turned to stare at her with intrigue at the request.
Gabrielle felt her hands reach for her sais with the immediate tensing of Xena's body. Having just learned about the baby that day and then hearing what Elaine had said her adrenaline was pumping through her veins in wait of whatever fight came their way. Because there was no way that...
Hera nodded. "All things must come to an end Elaine. Even love." Hera said turning to look at Joxer pointedly.
Joxer stared at Hera blinking more than usual as he knew she was about to say something to him and still completely shocked at the prospect of listening to the Queen of the Gods.
"For love lights a fire, and smiles a smile...as if it were to stay a while. And the fire breathes and weaves it's spell...and then runs out of lies to tell. For love is...restless, love is a flirt" Hera gave her daughter Aphrodite a quick glance and a pained smile as Aphrodite herself felt pain in the words, "Love has places to go and people to hurt."
Aphrodite shared a look with Ares and they quickly looked away from each other as they realized in the next words that they were not the ones she was talking about at all.
"So here's the shovel to smother the flame," Hera raised her hand and produced what one could only call a thin yellow gold ring that seemed to glow, " tomorrow you'll barely remember her name. And you'll try to forget her my dearest one, as a prisoner tries to forget the sun. For life holds no purpose, love holds no charms, since you beheld her in another's arms."
Joxer felt a flush rise up his face as he looked at the gold ring Hera was handing him, not understanding the um...poem that Hera seemed to be saying to him, but he found his hand reaching up to take the ring none the less and a feeling of embarrassment for doing so that he just didn't understand.
Hera gave a slow smile to Joxer and then looked at Elaine who was crying silently as she understood exactly what Hera was saying to Joxer.
Hera moved to wipe away a tear that was falling down Elaine's face.
"Thank you." Elaine whispered as she stared at who was supposed to be a powerful goddess and knew that she was as hurt and broken as she and Joxer were.
Hera nodded. "I have seen my fate through your eyes...just maybe this can make a difference." Then she turned and began to approach Xena.
Xena who had been thrown for a loop that morning just learning about being pregnant and now after listening to what Elaine said about 'show downs' and 'big deaths' was now concerned about keeping the child growing in her womb and protecting it.
Gabrielle was poised and ready to attack but slowly both women eased their stances as they understood that Hera had for some reason...agreed...to bless Xena's baby.
And when Hera placed her hands on Xena's womb and her hands glowed Xena felt no ill will at all as she too experienced a wave of utter peace that she had only known in heaven, and with it a love for the unborn child in her coming from a goddess that should hate every fibre of her being.
"I bless this child and vow to help bring her peacefully into this world with my blessings." Hera said making Xena look up into the vivid blue eyes of the Queen of the Gods with shock at hearing the sex of her unborn child.
Elaine watched and hoped that this could change at least part of Xena's fate with Eve this way. And then a memory of the tv show struck her and the sudden jump in her heart beat was noticed by all the Gods and all turned to look at her.
"I just remembered something and please please please tell me you're all willing to help because I don't think I could stand here one more minute without it being fixed." Elaine said rapidly as her mind ran a mile a minute.
"What's the matter?" Joxer asked as he too could sense the urgency radiating off of Elaine as she wiped away the remnants of tears on her face.
Hera slowly allowed herself to read Elaine's mind and found herself intaking breathe at the memory her mind had produced.
"Tell me my brother would not be so cruel..." Hera said outloud as she turned and made her way over to Elaine.
"I wish I could but it's what he allowed to happen. Please Hera...I know I'm asking a lot...but I can't let Solan end up like that." Elaine said with Xena immediately whispering her son's name and staring angrily between Hera and Elaine with eyes that spoke she was about to commit unspeakable acts if someone had done something to her dead son.
Hera turned reading Xena's thoughts and grimaced. "If my brother has done anything I will deal with him Xena. I assure you your son will Rest In Peace..."
"Um...about that Hera..." Elaine interrupted the Greek Goddess and gave her a funny little smile with one lifted brow.
Hera stopped short and the question in Elaine's mind and then looked back at Xena with a tilting of her head.
"I do not have the power..." Hera began.
"Well not you alone but with Hades..." Elaine says with a crooked little smile.
Hera sucked in a huge breath and expelled it all at once. "My brother despises any who dare try leave his realm."
"His realm includes the land! Poseidon got the sea, Zeus got the sky, and he got the underworld! All of them share the land...so technically...it's still his realm!" Elaine said with the smile evident on her face just from the sound of her pleased explanation.
"Just so I understand this..." Ares interupted looking a little angry, "you're more intelligent than any human being on the planet and you want this idiot?!" jerking a thumb towards Joxer.
"Hey!" Joxer exclaimed not able to help himself and quickly shut his mouth when Ares turned to look at him reminded him that he was talking to a God.
"I'm not the most intelligent human on the planet. I'm ONE of them. I mean...I have a much higher IQ then most..." Elaine said with the shrugging of one shoulder.
"256." The gods all chorussed at once. Ares giving her a huge smile as he did.
Xena glared angrily at him without him being aware of it and Gabrielle suddenly noticed the look and looked between the two and smartly said nothing as more important things were being discussed.
Elaine grimaced and squinted at all of them in distaste.
"As I was saying..."
"Are you saying you want Hera to bring Solan back to life?!" Gabrielle asked in shock as she finally understood where the conversation had been heading.
At this Xena jerked her head back to Elaine.
Elaine braced herself and swallowed. "Ok listen. You're already pregnant! Having Solan back would guarantee the Olympian Gods that as a new order starts you're not going to care about killing them because you'll have both children to worry about and as both you and Gabrielle now know...he can go to heaven when he's a wrinkly old man! So no need for Hades to go feel like he's being manipulated! He's simply not going to the Elysian Fields but to paradise!"
"What do you mean he's not GOING to the Elysian Fields!" Xena growled the words as she suddenly felt anger and sick at what the words meant.
"Xena...calm down...because what I'm about to say is going to SOUND bad...but I swear...I mean it LITERALLY! Solan asked to stay out of the Elysian Fields so he could spend eternity watching the life he left behind...because that way he could be with you the only way he could." Elaine touching her fingertips of both hands together and looking slightly scared she explained and found the way Xena's eyes went from panicked to angry to sad and back again and couldn't help but feel ashamed that she had just remembered all this now!
"How could you possibly know..." Hera began and quickly Elaine answered.
"This is a tv show where I'm from." Elaine answered simply causing Hera to turn and openly glare at the girl.
"What?! It's not like I wrote it or even filmed it! I just watched it!" Elaine defended herself.
"Are you telling me my son is in Tartarus?!" Xena barely managed to ask as her emotions were causing her to tear up.
"Hera...please!?' Elaine pleaded again as she stared at Xena, knowing that even a second on Earth was WAY longer in Tartarus.
Hera wasted no time and walked to Xena and offered her hand. Xena immediately grabbed it and Gabrielle immediately grabbed on to Xena.
"No matter how we find the boy, you will have him once more in your arms soon." Hera assured and with a swirl of magic she transported the three of them away.
Joxer suddenly jumped up from where he had been sitting, afraid that he had just led his two best friends into a trap and that he had been manipulated when Aphrodite walked over to him and placed a gentle hand on his chest.
"Relax studmuffin. Elaine has been telling the truth...and my...mom doesn't take well to children being mistreated."
"But...Hercules..." Joxer said with a furrowed brow and turning to look at Aphrodite with the fear not having left him.
"I don't think we know the real story on that." Elaine said staring at the spot Hera had just stood as she was left with the three other deities and Joxer.
"What do you mean? Hera can't stand Hercules..." Joxer began but Elaine quickly shook her head.
"Except it makes absolutely no sense why she repeatedly goes after just Hercules and not Iphicles. Not to mention the whole Hercules was also known as HERAcles and...yah know...that's something!" Elaine explained as her brain continued to calculate probability and Greek mythological stories that she had memorized many years ago.
"What is?" Cupid asked with a furrowed brow after having heard one of his favorite uncles being Hera anything!
"Well...Hera is also the goddess of childbirth! If Hercules exists it would mean she would have had to approve of it...or...it means that Zeus imposed his will over her domain...which...to be frank would be more of a reason for her to be very specific about her rage towards Hercules. It's even a possibility that she was fine with Iphicles - who looks identical to you by the way Ares - was the one she would have allowed to be born - but Hercules...well...it would make a lot of sense that she feels not just cheated because of infidelity which she weirdly had become accustomed to - but for who and what she is. Not to mention the whole Zeus casting Hephaestus out of Olympus because he kept Zeus from...well...seducing Hera." Elaine shuddered in disgust.
"Honestly I have no idea why any of you side with him. He's a sleaze who keeps raping women and having illegitimate children with women who have no choice but to submit or die! That's a hell of a 'good guy' if you ask me!" Elaine shook her head not noticing the look Aphrodite was giving her.
When Elaine did notice she froze as she re-said her entire spiel in her head to understand why Aphrodite looked so shocked when she realized that she had mentioned Hephaestus - who was Aphrodite's husband...and Hera's son...which she either didn't know or was oblivious to the fact or how he was cast out of Olympus.
"Ok you've seriously got to stop talking before you make me do something I'm going to regret!" Aphrodite said in a voice that spoke of anger which she rarely ever did on the show. Which in turn made Elaine very nervous.
"Sorry." Elaine muttered.
"Ugghhhh." Aphrodite grunted and turned around and vanished in a glitter of red hearts - which intrigued Elaine - she had never seen that!
"Wow! You've really got her angry. I thought I was the only one that could get that reaction out of her." Ares said sounding truly impressed.
"It's a gift...and a curse." Elaine said in a monotone and then looked over at Ares and gave him a little wink.
Ares couldn't help but smirk as he looked at Elaine. The more he learned her personality the more truly intrigued he became.
"Do you think your mom will be able to convince Hades?" Joxer asked Ares suddenly causing Elaine to smile and look over at his thinking look face - which she always found adorable.
Ares reading Elaine's thoughts grimaced.
"I hope so." Joxer said sincerely and made a face that Elaine had seen before...but where and when she remembered it from caused an instant ache in her heart.
Ares then looked at Joxer kind of shocked.
Elaine smiled and looked at Ares clearly thinking just for him 'That's why I fell in love with him. Despite all his pain...he doesn't wish her any harm. He wants her to be happy. He loves with everything in him.'
It was then that Hades suddenly appeared before them that Elaine was the one shocked.
"Though I would love an explanation of how you came to be protected by my sister I would like to hear directly from your tongue EXACTLY how you think I would bring back a child that has been dead for years." Hades said with no nonsense and a serious look that seemed almost permanently fixed on his face.
"Because you're the keeper of the dead...and because of that you know life!" Elaine said almost immediately.
It shocked all four men that stood on the outskirts of the western style town as the snow continued to coat the ground and rocks around them.
Hades had not seen this argument. He had been unprepared for the woman in front of him. After thousands of years of hearing people beg, plead, threaten...this was the first time he had heard something...different.
"You fought for life once yourself! You fought to be allowed to live! To exist! And you took the role like Ares did because unlike Zeus and Poseidon...you are a good and righteous man. You yearned for love and Zeus convinced you to take Persephone! And then you fell in love and even with all of it..." Elaine paused as she tried to control her own emotions, "even when a sister convinces you to feed her a seed so that she's bound to you...it's the life in Persephone that made you love her. Life that you knew would be snuffed out if you didn't allow her to go back to her mother. You love your siblings so much that you overlooked yourself for so long...that you couldn't help the way you felt. And you only ever want her! No one else. And that makes you such a better man than your brother that I wish my father was one hundredth of what you are!" Elaine gasped out the last words and tried to control her breathing.
Hades just stared at the young woman, tilting his head as he examined her thoughts and found not a single lie or betrayal there.
"Incredible." Hades almost mumbled to himself. "You actually believe everything you've said...not one thought of trying to persuade me in your favor. Not even a speck of fear either." Hades tilted his head again as he openly stared in slight wonderment at Elaine.
Elaine shook her head. "I don't need to. You know life Hades. You knew how intelligent Solan was when you explained the Elysian Fields to him...and you know what the right thing to do is. I don't need to convince you of anything." Elaine then pleaded in her mind for God to open Hades heart and show how Solan had always been surrounded by death...and never really knew life.
It was these thoughts that shocked Hades into stepping back from Elaine and staring in horror at her.
Elaine winced knowing exactly why Hades had pulled away and looked down and then back up at him.
"I'm sorry. I know my faith offends you and I don't wish to do that in the least."
Cupid had felt the wave of love that had radiated out from Elaine as she silently prayed in her head and was marveled by it. Ares just stared almost dumbstruck that anyone had the gall to speak to Hades the way this woman had.
Joxer just stared from where he sat at a woman that spoke to Hades as if she cared for him. All day he had seen her do incredible things that he had only seen Xena or Hercules accomplish. He watched how she smiled at Hades and how the man almost imperceptibly returned the smile.
"You are the first I have ever found myself the least bit...compassionate towards. I can see why my sister has chosen to protect you. As odd as the circumstances are...I..." Hades nodded, "I can see how the child's death was not truly balancing the cosmos."
Elaine just smiled wider at Hades. "See...I knew you'd know the right thing to do."
Hades gave her a wider smile and turned slightly, "Hera mentioned something about a family...meal...on Olympus. Whoever gave her the idea of bringing together the Olympians to maintain a better balance...well...that person most certainly understands how such a thing is important."
Elaine smiled so wide he could see all her teeth causing the same reaction on his own face.
Joxer thought it would look cruel or evil...but...he just looked like a man smiling with...joy.
Joxer found himself imitating the smile on both of their faces and couldn't help how his heart seemed to expand in awe at the person Elaine was...and he couldn't believe how good it made him feel that she loved him. She was incredible.
"I can't believe you didn't tell me the Hephy kept Daddy away from you and THAT'S why he wasn't allowed on Olympus!" Aphrodite exclaimed as she walked back and forth in the dingy halls of Tartarus as Hera used her powers to bring health back to Solan after Xena had removed him from the cocoon he had been placed in.
Hera rolled her eyes hearing her daughter complain which made Gabrielle feel a feeling of compassion for the goddess which Gabrielle thought would never happen.
Xena was being incredibly cautious as she watched Hera heal Solan which brought more color to his incredibly frail body. Ever vigilant that Hera did nothing to harm him.
Xena also tried to reign in her tears as Solan's words resounded in her head confirming everything Elaine had said. Gods knew how long her son would have stayed here if not for her. The urge to strangle the woman from earlier turning to an incredible debt she knew she couldn't repay. If she could take Solan back to the land of the living...there would be no person more grateful in the whole world.
And despite what she would owe Elaine, Xena knew the repayment could not be Joxer. He was her family. She couldn't sell him for her own happiness.
Glancing at Gabrielle for a moment she tried to gauge how she was handling all of this. Memories of Hope and how Solan had brought them back together again and...
Xena instantly saw how Gabrielle was not looking at Solan or Hera but at Aphrodite with a gleam in her eye that made Xena extremely nervous.
"There." Hera said causing Xena to switch back her attention to Solan.
"Thank you." Solan said politely and gave Hera a small smile which Hera returned without hesitation.
Xena watched in pride as her son's natural response was hugging Hera- who did hesitate on returning the gesture- but Hera looked immediately to Xena who only taken a second for her to voice in her head that it was ok.
Hera gave a nod and slowly returned Solan's hug. Straightening back up Hera moved Solan's blonde hair from his face and caressed his cheek.
Gabrielle suddenly felt a pain in her chest and found herself sucking in a breath as she felt like something had just been pulled out of her.
Suddenly Aphrodite gasped out clutching her heart and almost collapsed on to the floor, which caused Hera to quickly turn and instantly move to her daughter who's pain seemed to fill the cavernous room.
"What's going on? is she alright?!" Solan asked worrying for the beautiful blonde goddess who's pain could be felt by all in the room.
"Mom...can't...breathe." Aphrodite gasped causing Hera to look startled and fear to instantly grip her as she quickly used her powers - pressing her hand onto her daughter's heart and use the remaining strength in her to ease the sudden invisible pressure that was acting on her daughter.
"Gabrielle! Gabrielle are you ok?! Gabrielle talk to me!" Xena was cradling Gabrielle in her arms with wild eyes as she had no idea what was causing her distress or Aphrodite's.
Then just as suddenly Gabrielle was opening her eyes which had rolled back at the pain, and Aphrodite was able to breath once more as the sudden weight lifted from her chest. But when her bright blue eyes opened Hera knew exactly what was occurring to her daughter and knew that Elaine indeed was causing things to transpire which obviously were not supposed to.
"Rest child. You are not use to such pain." Hera with the wisdom and experience of what Aphrodite was feeling.
"Are you ok?!" Solan asked Gabrielle who was finally starting to move.
"I...I think so." Gabrielle said slowly, unsure why she suddenly felt so...so...bereft.
Hera stood slowly and allowed her connection to her brother to spark back to life.
"And have you made a decision brother?" Hera asked as Hades appeared causing Xena to instantly tense and Gabrielle as well.
"Solan...do you want to go back on Earth...and live your life...or do you wish to go to the Elysian Fields?" Hades asked the only person who's opinion mattered.
Solan looked between his mother, her belly, and Gabrielle. Turning to look at Hades, Solan asked a question in return.
"Are...are you going to come after my mother and sister?"
"Solan!" Xena admonished immediately. The only thing she wanted to do was to save her child from this fate he had placed himself, but reminding Hades of the animosity he held towards her was not going to help them.
Hades smirked. "A woman I just met has shown me that I need not fear your mother...or the Twilight. And I too will give your sister my blessings. Does this answer your question?"
Solan took a few seconds to nod at Hades but when he did Hades let out a little laugh. "Good."
"Now young man...my brother is asking if YOU want to return and be with your mother. Or...do you want to go to the Elysian Fields?"
Solan looked at Xena and knew what he wanted. "I want to be with you mother. That's what I always wanted!"
Hades nodded and smiled. "Then I think you need to leave this place. It's no place for a living boy."
Hades placed his glowing hand on Solan as Hera leaned down and what looked like she was kissing him on the lips but was allowing the breath of life she would bestow upon new babes back into his dead lungs making them flesh once more.
Xena watched wide eyed between the two Gods and Solan and watched in amazement as her son was brought back to living flesh.
Hera pulled back and smiled at the boy. "Listen to your mother Solan. We mother's always know best."
Solan smiled joyously and turned and leapt into his mother's arms who immediately began crying and squeezed her son tightly.
"You tell Elaine that I look forward to seeing her at the first gathering on Mount Olympus." Hades said to Hera who stared at him with a strange look.
"She's umm...indeed special. Having overcome what she has and still be...the way she is. Ares seems quite fond of her!" Hades teased his sister who grimaced and then glared at him for his humor.
"That girl is giving me too much grief!" Aphrodite said as she slowly stood back up.
"This...Joxer... she's in love with...I hate to say is quite an odd pair to see them together. What could she possibly see in a man like that?" Hades asked Aphrodite.
"She DOESN'T see anything in him because she doesn't KNOW HIM!" Gabrielle basically screamed at Hades with wild eyes causing the five sets of eyes to look at her as if she was a mad woman.
"Umm...I think that's our cue to hightail it out of here toots." Aphrodite said and with a snap took Xena, Gabrielle, and Solan with her back to where Elaine sat next to Joxer as she shared the food Hera had given her with him.
"I don't believe it! He actually did it!" Ares exclaimed as he looked Solan up and down at first sight of them in the clearing.
Xena made her way over to Elaine and glared at her. Elaine gulped down the food in her mouth as she suddenly felt like she was about to be pummeled for a reason she couldn't understand.
Xena yanked Elaine up which caused Joxer to quickly stand and look on fearfully - because despite it all he didn't know if he could lay hands on Xena if she hurt Elaine. The idea had simply never ever entered his mind that he would ever have to defend Elaine from Xena and his loyalty and love for her could be tested like this.
But his worry instantly became shock. His eyebrows shot up to his hairline as Xena pulled Elaine into a crushing hug.
"Thank you!" Xena said with the emotions clogging her voice.
Elaine took a few seconds to respond but when she did she embraced Xena back fully.
"Don't thank me Xena. I didn't do anything."
"Xena what are you doing?!" Gabrielle asked with a hitch in her voice as she obviously felt betrayed by Xena suddenly.
"Gabrielle..." Xena began with a pleading in her voice.
Elaine seeing that Solan was standing beside Gabrielle - ALIVE - moved to him without a care about Gabrielle in the slightest.
"Solan! Hi! My name's Elaine! I'm your Uncle Joxer's girlfriend!" Elaine said as she stuck out her hand and Solan looked up at Elaine with confusion and then looked over at Joxer with a slightly confused smile on both their faces and maybe a small blush on Joxer's.
"Uncle Joxer?" Solan asked staring at the still strangely dressed man who he had used to help guide Gabrielle in Illusia.
"Oh umm...not...not really your uncle. I mean he was a friend of your mom's and he said he had always wanted to be an uncle and...I'm babbling! Sorry! Sorry!" Elaine said as she closed her eyes and focused.
"Um...you do have Uncles though! Toris is your mom's half brother and he's still alive...um...somewhere! And uh...another uncle that your mom told Iolaus about but I never heard anything about him again...but...yeah! You have two uncles out there. Somewhere." Elaine explained a very confused looking Solan.
Xena for her part looked as if she had been physically hit. The words 'was a friend' talking about Joxer had made her look at Joxer suddenly completely baffled at what in Tartarus had occurred in the span of a day that the possibility of losing Joxer's friendship - to realizing he was like a brother to her - and now being told that she 'was' a friend an acceptable thing to tell her son. It was like their relationship was a thing of the past. And the mentioning of her brothers making the correlation of her relationship with Joxer just that more excruciating.
"You really have to stop with the incessant talking dear." Hera said as she glanced over at the look on Xena's face as Elaine looked at her causing Elaine to see that Xena looked as if she was about to cry which Elaine recognized immediately and hated that she had caused it by her constant moving mouth.
"Sorry." Elaine whispered to Xena and pulled her hand back from Solan.
Gabrielle was just glaring at Elaine and Joxer. Back and forth, and back and forth waiting for Joxer to deny what Elaine had said.
Girlfriend?! GIRLFRIEND?!
Gabrielle felt her fists clench at the urge to literally beat Elaine into a pulp overpowered any other emotions of gratitude or excitement or happiness that Xena was getting Solan back after everything with Hope.
Nope!
Her mind was stuck on how Joxer's eyes had not left Elaine's body. How his eyes were all but glued to her and her alone. How not once had his eyes even glanced at her or asked her how she was.
And she knew...she KNEW that she should have been thinking about all those other things...but since Elaine had arrived Gabrielle's entire focus had shifted. Everything in her telling her to keep her away from Joxer at all costs. Her insides felt like they were in a vice each time she even thought about Elaine touching Joxer...let alone to hear her give herself a title of girlfriend caused every instinct in her to...
Hades suddenly appeared and once more everyone's attention was on him. " Hera and i are going to speak with Poseidon about the reunion on Olympus. I will also be informing him of you as our guest." Hades said to Elaine who suddenly found her mouth hanging open like a guppy.
"Ahh..." The only sound escaping Elaine's mouth as Hades just smirked.
"It will be interesting to hear your opinions of a certain brother of mine when faced with him." Hades smirk becoming a smile.
Elaine then slowly smiled at Hades, again not even a shred of fear radiating from the girl.
"I look forward to it." Elaine said with a confidence that truly impressed Hades.
Hades took a deep breath and let it out as he continued to smile at Elaine. "I see exactly why Hera likes you."
"What?! No one invited me to the party?!" A voice said and suddenly another Goddess was there.
One which caused a huge smile on Elaine's face.
"DISCORD!" Elaine shrieked and ran over to the Goddess and embraced her tightly in a hug that made the normal 'cat ate the canary' smile fall immediately from her face and stared at Hera and Ares in a 'What is happening' look that caused both to chortle as Aphrodite and Cupid smiled widely at the uncomfortable face on Discord's face.
Elaine pulled away and her mouth dropped open. "Holy SHIT! You're gorgeous!"
"What?!" Discord said completely baffled as to what exactly had just happened because she had never had any human greet her in such a way. Let alone be happy at her presence and compliment her beauty.
Elaine pursed her lips and titled her head as she continued to hold onto Discord.
"Seriously though...you are hiding some serious 'I'm bang-able' looks girl!" Elaine finally stopped touching Discord and motioned with her finger around Discord's body.
"This is seriously doing nothing for you! OH!" Elaine turned wide eyes at Hera.
"EW! EW! CAN I?! PLEASE! CAN I?!" Screaming as the idea popped into her head causing Ahprodite's eyes to widen and a huge smile to break across her face almost in ecstasy and Discord's eyes widened in horror at the idea that popped into the mortal's mind.
"I do NOT NEED a MAKEOVER!" Discord yelled and was about to form a ball of fire when Hera with a wave of her hand extinguished the fire.
Elaine looked from Discord as she yelled to Ares. "Ares...tell your sister to let me give her a makeover!"
"You think you can make her look appealing?!" Ares asked with a raised eyebrow.
"HEY!" Discord yelled at her brother.
"Um...again...she's bangin' in hiding Ares." Said in anger and defense of Discord.
"What's banging?" Solan asked with a furrowed brow.
"Uh..." Elaine forgot that Solan was still a child and looked for a second ashamed until Hades of all people responded.
"I believe she's trying to equate the sound to how shockingly good she appears to be."
Hades gave her a wink and Elaine's gratefulness poured out of her mind at him.
"Oh...well...you are shockingly beautiful." Solan said and suddenly found himself blushing profusely and looking away as Discord did the same - not at all use to such an honest compliment. Especially not one without an obvious precursor to physical...activity.
Joxer fought off a smirk as Elaine covered her smirk with one hand and side whispered to Discord.
"You're blushin'!" Elaine sing songed to Discord who quickly schooled her reaction and glared at Elaine.
Xena for her part was looking stunned. Solan obviously...NOTICED...Discord. And a sudden panic set in her that she was going to be raising a soon to be teenage boy along with a baby.
"Oh Gods." Xena suddenly mumbled in misery.
"We're here." Ares said with an evil smirk at Xena.
Xena gave him her glare that always managed to cause his own smirk to fall off his face.
"Sooo...Aphrodite I can see you agree with me on this." Elaine said causing Aphrodite to squeal and jump run towards Discord.
"Don't even think about it!" Discord warned, but was silenced when her own mother spoke.
"If Elaine says you are impairing yourself...why not see what she does differently? You can always go back to the way you look now." Hera's logic making Discord hide her snarl.
"XENA! THERE'S TROU-ble..." Amarice stopped running and screaming at the incredible sight before her not able to believe what she was seeing.
"Amarice. We were just discussing makeovers and girl...you need one!" Elaine said with a glance up and down at the outfit Amarice was wearing.
"I'm not going to be painted up like a..." Discord said with anger in her voice as she had planned on causing trouble only to it reversed on her.
"No! No! We are not using pink or pastels...we're just...refining what you've been trying to do. I never get to do girly stuff! Most of the people I work with are boys and don't understand a damn thing about wanting to make yourself feel better by dressing up!" Elaine exclaimed as she looked at Discord.
"Don't you ever just want to change something to see if anyone notices?" Elaine asked honestly.
Discord considered the words and oddly agreed with this...Elaine person.
"Fine! If I don't like it I'll just burn off your hair!" Discord warned.
"She's under my protection daughter." Hera's stern voice immediately rang out.
"You can trip me and watch me fall on the ground if you want." Elaine whispered and smirked at Discord.
Discord fought a smile at the offer and just managed to muffle it but not before Aphrodite saw it.
"So like...we're totally doing a makeover!" Aphrodite exclaimed in excitement.
"Two makeovers." Hera said as she examined the Amazon girl with eyes of scrutiny who promptly blushed at being appraised in such a way.
"Well...Joxer also needs new armor but I believe I should leave that to Ares since I know about protecting myself against knives in a hand to hand situation - but absolutely no clue against swords!" Elaine exclaimed causing both Xena and Gabrielle to stare at her oddly.
"YOU? Trained in hand to hand?!" Gabrielle asked then laughed and looked away, completely dismissing the whole Ares choosing armor for Joxer discussion - because that would mean things were very much changing.
Elaine's head jerked back in an annoyed way. "What does that mean?"
"It means I doubt you could fight your way out of a sack let alone against an actual opponent!" Gabrielle scoffed again at the mere idea that this girl thought she was any kind of warrior.
Ares suddenly felt tingles going up and down his back. Was this excitement?! The idea of having a 21st century warrior against a prodigy of Xena making his eyes dart between the two without making it completely obvious that he more than wanted to see a fight between the two women.
"Gabrielle just because I didn't fight back doesn't mean I can't fight! You of all people should know that!" Elaine exclaimed as she started to actually get offended that Gabrielle thought so little of her.
Did she not think that she could defend herself? She could most certainly defend Joxer if anything was to happen, which is why she wanted to travel with him. The episode where Joxer was almost beaten to death still made her want to reach through a tv screen and all but murder the people that had done that to him.
"You trip over your own two feet!" Gabrielle said with soo much anger that Xena was suddenly very aware of Gabrielle's clenched hands and posture that said she was about to launch herself at Elaine.
"I didn't DRESS for cold weather! I was expecting to be in a sunny beach town - not in the middle of winter in Greece!" Elaine yelled. The fact that she was still wearing Joxer's jacket said a lot about how cold she was and how little she had been prepared to end up...here!
"Not to shoot myself in the foot because I would...LOVE...to see you two fight...but you might want to settle down Gabrielle." Ares said in all seriousness. He knew from having read her mind that a E4 Krav Maga fighting method would decimate Gabrielle. Elaine was the classic example of trying to avoid true physical confrontation if you could. Her ability to not strike back at Gabrielle though one would think weak showed true discipline.
"Gabrielle!" Xena immediately sensing just how angered Ares' words had made the blonde warrior.
"I'm not going to fight you Gabrielle. No matter how angry you are at me!" Elaine said with force making both Aphrodite and Discord share a look and quickly both moved to flank Elaine, knowing that after a statement like that it was only a matter of time before a fight broke out. And if their mother continually kept repeating that Elaine was under her protection - it meant that they most certainly would be held to do the same.
"I've done enough damage." Gabrielle all but growled out.
"STOP IT!"
Gabrielle jumped startled as well as everyone else at the yell Joxer let out. The angry look he was giving Gabrielle making her feel suddenly very exposed. Like he was openly judging her. Something Joxer had never done before.
"Joxer..." Gabrielle finally found her voice as Joxer continued to stare at her with clear real anger in his eyes.
"I'm not doing this." Joxer said and without another word left the group of people and Gods staring after him.
Elaine immediately felt horrible. It was one thing for her to get caught up in meeting the Greek Gods...and it was another entirely to forget the whole reason she had wanted to get Joxer away from Xena and Gabrielle.
"Joxer wait!" Elaine yelled and took off after him.
Discord laughed as she realized that this Elaine seemed like a natural at creating her name sake.
Gabrielle turned and glared at Discord. "Is there something funny Discord?"
Aphrodite immediately grabbed her sister's arm and with just that touch alerted Discord to not take the bait.
"Gabrielle you really need to calm down."
It was Solan's voice that suddenly made the anger in Gabrielle drain away.
What was the matter with her.
"I'm...I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm..." Gabrielle whispered as she placed a hand to her head and one over the pain that was slowly pulsing along with every heart beat as Solan looked at her with his bright blue eyes that showed he understood way more than he should.
"Um...Xena...Darcon..." Amarice began but Ares made a gesture with his hand and said. "He's out cold. Have him locked up. He's an idiot for going against his wife."
Xena looked at Ares oddly as he turned and when she finally understood...was following Elaine a sudden rage filled her that she couldn't explain and she quickly squashed it down.
"Mother..." Solan began but was interrupted by Hera.
"The boy is hungry Xena. Speaking of which...you should seek nourishment for yourself as well." Hera said as she ran her hand through Solan's hair with an affection even Cupid was shocked to see.
"Right. Right lets...lets just head back into town right now. Aphrodite...I need to talk to you as soon as I've finished making sure Solan is cared for."
Aphrodite knew Xena was going to ask her about what happened in Tartarus and forced herself to smile. "You got it warrior babe."
With that the Greek Gods vanished from the clearing leaving Amarice, Xena, Solan and Gabrielle to stand there.
"Xena..." Gabrielle's misery heard immediately and Xena closed her eyes as she fought the urge to yell at Gabrielle that more important things were happening than her hatred for Elaine.
"Gabrielle we'll talk about it later." Xena said as she turned Solan around and led him back into town with Amarice instantly following, but Gabrielle stood there watching in the direction that Joxer had walked away from her to.
Gabrielle knew she was losing Joxer with the way he had looked at her just then. Like he didn't know her at all.
What was worse was...she was starting to realize...that she didn't know him at all.
Elaine had known things about them. But especially about Joxer that made her realize she had never even cared to ask Joxer about his family. About his siblings! I mean if Jett was any indication...
She pushed down on her chest just above her heart as the ache inside her increased.
Gabrielle had experienced heart break before. People came in and out of her life so often with the way she lived her life but...this was different.
It didn't feel like just...Joxer wasn't just some...
She cared about him...she cared about him to know he was a part of her family and not just...someone that wasn't going to be there long because...he was...
She was...
Jealous.
Because Elaine wasn't just pushing herself into their lives. Gabrielle knew that Elaine was trying to become a permanent thing with Joxer. She wanted to take Joxer away from her...and Xena...and just the idea that she could soo easily do it...it...it made her beyond angry.
She was losing him.
How many times had she thought about him getting lost and finally leaving them alone and now it wasn't a hopeful wish.
It was a cruel fact.
And it was more than her heart could take.
Author's Note: A really long chapter after an EXTREMELY long absence. Hopefully the few people who were following this story leave me a little encouragement because this...is a lot. But...I want to continue. I need to continue. I'm not giving up on it as long as some of you don't as well! Much love - hopefully you drop me a review!