Author's Note:Ok so absolutely no reviews on my last chapter...and I'm still going forward! For all that is holy I'm writing this because it needs to get written! A HUGE curveball in this chapter ladies and gents...anyone willing to offer reviews...I am grateful! GRAPHIC SCENES AHEAD! WARNING! WARNING! M RATED FOR SURE!
Here I am again writing in a scroll - in English - at another campfire with Joxer sitting right next to me and Amarice & Armand next to him.
At least saving Amarice from death is going to be easy enough. Not to mention the whole Armand thing seems to be going a lot better for her since both seem to be in protection mode for Xena and Gabrielle.
Honestly...it's everything else I'm worried about.
Xena was way too calm when she asked where we should be heading. I had hoped but never expected her to actually ask where she should go. I didn't think she would ever trust me enough.
When I told her we should start heading towards Chin she looked shocked but glanced over at Joxer and then at me and gave a little nod.
She didn't even ask why.
I don't know what happened earlier...but at this moment I feel like a caged animal.
God please help me! Because now it's not just Gabrielle's eyes that are staring at me with anger and hate.
At least before Xena paid me absolutely no attention and dismissed me.
Now her attention is solely on me...or to be more exact...on any single movement that I make towards Joxer. Gabrielle's eyes move away every so often and I know she's fuming.
But Xena...
Xena's eyes are constantly on me.
Joxer being Joxer hasn't even said two words to neither of them, and weirdly, they haven't tried to talk to him either.
But he's catering to me like...well...like I'm his girl. Which...it makes me smile.
He's beyond good. He's awkward, and sometimes loud, and often times clumsy but...I love him despite all of that. I love how when he really smiles he gets these dimples that make him look ridiculously cute.
I love how when he builds himself up in his head you can actually see him puff himself up physically.
I love how when he sang the lullaby to Eve he actually sang it to her...and not to anyone else.
I love how when I told him to treat Solan the way he wished his father treated him his eyes misted with a small amount of tears...because I knew he wasn't treated kindly by just about anyone.
I love how he almost instantly bonded with Solan by horseplaying and joking around. It was incredible to watch him immediately treat Solan like...well...like what I imagine he had treated Virgil.
"Do you want any water?" Joxer asks me softly before moving the water skin towards me.
I crack my neck and smile at him and give him a small smile. He gives a small smile back and I know he's blushing slightly.
I take the water skin and take a good amount and then hand it back.
"Thanks baby." I say it quickly and immediately lower my head and start writing again wanting to finish my thought.
Me loving Joxer isn't the problem. It's how Joxer is somehow connected to Xena and Gabrielle that is! Really I have no idea how the hell it's possible that the three of them are connected even with Amarice repeating what Hera explained about how Xena and Joxer have a special bond. Even if she was telling me just to make me think Joxer was never supposed to be with me, I knew better because of Aphrodite and the tv show, but it had made me extremely curious.
Her whole cryptic 'until they become one' bit has me thinking back on the tv show and how the hell it was possible for Joxer's soul to have ended up in Xena's body and the reverse.
The whole time I..
"Did you just call him baby?"
I look up to Amarice who had an incredulous look on her face that was turning into a laugh.
Armand also has a smirk on his face and is trying to hide his laughter.
When finally my eyes turn to Joxer who's blushing is full fledged all over his face I look back at Amarice.
"I ah...guess the endearment doesn't translate..."
Amarice just furrows her brow at me. Ok...this girl needed a better vocabulary.
"It's like...calling him honey. Or sweetie! Where I'm from it's what you call your boyfriend or girlfriend instead of calling them their name. Actually if you call your lady by her first name usually it starts fights!" I look over at Joxer.
"Don't do it," I say with a humorous pursing of lips and a little shake of my head while closing my eyes.
Armand and Joxer laugh out a little. Amarice turns and flicks a hand against Armand's chest, which quickly causes him to stop and the two to glare at each other.
God the two of them do make a good looking couple, and the sexual tension will eventually win out.
"It sounds stupid." Amarice said trying to insult Elaine.
"Well I'm sure as shit not calling him...Pookie...that's for damn sure." I say rolling my eyes and shaking my head no as I go back to my writing.
I thought that it was because of Meg or one of the other look alike's that had led to...
I miss the startled look Gabrielle shoots at me and then back at Joxer whose face turns white and pale as he doesn't even bother to look her way at all.
All I know is that the sound of her getting up is soo loud it startles Argo and Amber and me from my writing once again as she leaves the small clearing.
The only thing I manage to see is the very pissed off eyes of the warrior princess herself who gets up immediately to go after Gabrielle.
"Solan stay here."
"Ok." Solan says immediately as he sits cross legged between where Gabrielle had been and Xena had sat with her sword as she cleaned the weapon, looking bored and half asleep as he twirls a stick.
I know keeping Xena happy is key to surviving in this ancient and primative version of Earth...and I know by the way she's looking at me I've crossed some kind of line or threshold because I feel a shiver run up my spine at the way she's looking at me.
Looking over at Solan and knowing making him happy would make her happy, I think of something that a kid would find entertaining...hell it's simple enough to do with what we have on hand.
"Hey Solan...do you like to draw?" I ask him as I see him playing with the stick in the dirt as inspiration hits causing me to smile.
"Yes." Solan says slowly and shyly as he scribbles away the drawing like he was trying to erase it.
"Well...how about drawing in colors?!" I ask as I go into the bag that Joxer was in and out of all night.
A wax candle, which probably costs a bunch - but it would make Solan happy which keeps Xena from killing me tonight.
Before anyone says anything I break the candle and point just past Solan's head. "There are some Daffodil's and Iris over by the horses. Do you mind going to get a good amount...I can make you some colors to draw with."
Solan looked over and then back at Elaine as he finally understood and his eyes became big. "Really?!"
Elaine laughed. "Yeah! They're called crayons where I come from! It'll take a little over half an hour to make but...I'm sure you can start to use them tomorrow. Think you'd like that?"
Solan smiled widely and nodded his head and jumped up and went to look for the flowers.
"Hey! Watch out for snakes!" Joxer immediately warned Solan which caused both Xena and Elaine to look at Joxer who was busy keeping an eye on Solan in an impressive show of protectiveness that caused both women to feel waves of pride over the man.
"I will!" Solan said as he knelt down and picked some of the flowers.
Xena took one more second to watch Solan, then look at me, and then turned to go find Gabrielle - resheathing her sword as she left.
"That was close." Armand said with a raised brow at Elaine.
"Yeah. Angering the wife is never good." Elaine said on the quiet side so Solan didn't hear, letting out a huge breath of relief that he continued gathering flowers.
"Whatdayah mean?" Amarice asked with a confused look on her face as she rolled out her bedroll.
Joxer winced and moved to do the same task as Amarice when Elaine looked from Joxer to Armand and then to Amarice.
"I mean pissing off Xena's wife isn't going to do me any favors. Especially since Aphrodite told us we can't leave them." Elaine said with a 'duh' look on her face.
Amarice's head jerked back and then looked at Elaine with a baffled look on her face. "Huh?!"
Armand's eyes had widened as soon as the word 'wife' was out of Elaine's mouth and quickly looked from Elaine to Joxer and away as he immediately understood EXACTLY what Elaine meant.
"Um...Amarice...Xena and Gabrielle are soulmates...you heard Hera say that. What do you think that means?!" Elaine asked the last question with a raised brow and slight attitude at the cluelessness of the 'amazon' woman.
It took a few seconds and then Amarice flushed face revealed that she had indeed understood what she meant.
"Yeah..." Elaine said in a 'now you get it' kind of way as she distributed the wax into small little piles so Solan would have at least two crayons.
"Oh." Amarice said as she glanced to where Xena had followed Gabrielle and then back at Elaine.
"Keeping them alive is why I'm here with Joxer, and it won't do anyone any good if they try and keep killing me before I can actually save them both from their own stupid mistakes." Elaine said shaking her head as the aggravation of watching the last season of Xena and actually being brought into it just before left her in the very delicate situation of keeping both women alive and from leaving Gabrielle alone to roam all over the world. How completely and utterly stupid!
Even Lucy Lawless had said so herself! Telling people to even 'forget it ever happened' which honestly she couldn't forget since her life LITERALLY depended on it now.
Being an obsessed fan was really paying off for once!
"So...you're not weirded out by..." Amarice began as she again glanced to where she had Xena leave.
Elaine laughed. "No. Not in the least bit. Pretty much everyone in the world knows that Gabrielle and Xena 'belonged' together. Hell in the future where I'm from you're practically driven out of society if you don't accept people being homosexual! Lucy...the woman who plays Xena is a big champion for equal rights for people in that community and so is Renee...the woman who plays Gabrielle. My father loved it...and not for good reasons. Made me watch the show so I could see how 'depravity' was being accepted. He justified his raping me by pointing out two women being together was once considered wrong...and that's why what he did to me was right even if others thought it wrong."
If it wasn't for the sound of the fire crackling you could have heard everyone's breaths as the admission left everyone stunned.
Even Solan had turned around as the last sentence was said having listened to it all and knowing better than to say anything, but Elaine was in her own world as she continued to make crayons for Solan.
"Touching his own daughter was justified in his head. The beatings for not obeying...'see how violence is the only way to make people do what you want!' Like the violence Xena and Gabrielle were equal to what he did. I did everything I could to make myself invisible but...it never worked. Then when he'd leave for work he'd always beat mom. Always strung her out on more drugs soo all she could do was beg for more...and when he didn't leave any...my mother didn't care what happened to me...as long as they brought the drugs. Some of them just happened to be women. It didn't matter how they touched me...as long as she got her fix. I can't tell you the amount of times people would say to me - that I was homosexual if I enjoyed it even a little bit. They'd say anything to make themselves feel justified in what they did."
The three adults were horrified by the implication...and none of them expected what happened next.
Who could have.
"An older boy used to touch me ..."
All four adult heads jerked towards Solan who looked at the flowers in his hand and then to the very horrified faces of the four people now staring at him.
"Does...does that make me..."
"NO!" Elaine screamed and immediately was up and wrapping her arms around Solan who was standing at the edge of the clearing as she knew the question he was asking had rebounded in her own head as a child. Her heart pounding at the courage she knew it took for Solan to say something.
"No sweetheart! That doesn't make you anything! That doesn't..." Elaine held on to him tightly until Joxer was suddenly there taking Solan out of Elaine's arms and with a look on his face that would have terrified Xena and Gabrielle asked one question.
"Who touched you?" Joxer asked in a quiet voice, and it made Solan look at Elaine at hearing how odd and very cold sounding Joxer sounded - not like himself or even his brother Jett...but very much like a man barely holding back his rage.
"Solan...who touched you?" Joxer repeated again trying to hold back a tide of hate and rage that caused Discord to appear.
"WOAH! Seriously deathly waves..." Discord merrily said feeling sexy with her new look and suddenly her smug smirk dropped and she stopped wiggling with glee when the images finally hit her.
"Oh shit." Discord said with no humor in her voice as she realized exactly what was happening.
Without another word she disappeared again leaving Solan there staring at where she had been. The little boy with blue eyes who's thoughts were running rampant with images she did not want to see.
"Solan!" Joxer raised his voice slightly to startle Solan into staring at him once more, "Who?!" The force of how he said the question making Solan immeidately respond.
"Damian."
Joxer stood up immediately and walked over with a look on his face that looked like nothing had just happened - complete calmness that masked a volcano of rage that Elaine was totally unprepared for.
"Hades!" Joxer called out making the God appear without a second passing as it was uncommon for any mortal to call for him, but recognizing Joxer's voice from earlier on Olympus made him even more receptive to the call.
"Joxer wait..." Elaine tried to stop Joxer as she held tightly to Solan. Wanting to try and make Joxer think before he acted but it was no use as Joxer went right up to Hades and with an authority that had Hades blinking in shock said "Bring me to him."
Hades just looked at Solan and read the boys thoughts which caused the God's eyes to darken and with a nod at Joxer, both were gone.
"Oh shit!" Elaine exclaimed.
"What do we do?" Amarice asked immediately in bewilderment, her eyes showing the panic she felt.
"Did I do something..." Solan began to ask and all three adults yelled.
"NO!"
"No Solan! You did absolutely nothing wrong!" Elaine said as she loosened her hold on him and held his face between her hands.
"You. Did. Nothing. Wrong. But Uncle Joxer is about to do something really bad if we don't stop him." Elaine said as she looked up to find Discord and Ares materialize.
"Seriously! Can't you last the rest of the day without..." Ares was about to go into a tirade when Elaine immediately stopped him.
"Joxer's about to kill someone." Elaine knew it sounded absurd to even say and knew the reaction she would get when Ares looked over at Discord with a huge smile on his face in laughter when she returned the look with one of complete seriousness.
Ares' smile dropped.
"Hades took him there and I know Joxer isn't going to just listen to reason or to me. We need to stop him" Elaine said shaking her head with a look of worry on her face.
"Look...Joxer killed my father by accident...and he was a warlord. The way Joxer looked just now..." Armand began and stopped as Ares looked at him as he shook his head.
"But after what I just heard...If he had taken me with him I would of helped." Armand said with a stoic face that let Ares know this wasn't some joke or prank or whatever.
They were serious.
"Ares we don't have much time. Hades took him straight to where the scumbag is." Discord said as she felt the shockwave coming from where Joxer was and without another word waved her hand leaving Ares behind.
"Shit! Shit! Shit! Ok." Elaine held Solan tightly, knowing beyond a shadow of doubt that he needed to know he wasn't at fault for anything happening.
"Amarice! You go get Xena and Gabrielle...and for all that is holy HURRY!" Amarice didn't wait another second as she ran in the direction the two had left.
Elaine pulled back from Solan and held his face in both hands. "Solan I need you to stay here with Armand..."
"No! Uncle Joxer needs me..." Solan said immediately as he pictured Damian and knew that he was a bigger build and dangerous for his Uncle Joxer to go after.
It was then that Ares saw the images in Solan's head and felt a fireball form around his hand at the image.
"Ares..." Elaine said the name in warning as she saw the flames and quickly with eye gestures indicating Solan that he needed to keep his cool.
"Solan..."
"He needs me!" Solan said with a confidence that showed a loyalty towards Joxer that overcame any kind of fear or discomfort about Damian.
Elaine debated in her head, and knew the answer as soon as Xena and Gabrielle were seen running towards them.
"Solan you need to stay here. Ares."
With a wave of his hand both Elaine and Ares were gone as Solan yelled out 'WAIT!'
"What's going on?!" Gabrielle immediately asked as her eyes scanned for Joxer after Elaine left and Armand stood there with Amarice staring at each other and then at Solan who looked more distraught now then when he had admitted to what had caused Joxer to snap.
"Solan...um...buddy I think you and your mom need to talk." Armand said as he moved towards Xena and brought the very confused woman to where Solan stood and quickly moved to grab Amarice's hand and quickly tugged her out of the clearing - knowing that what was about to be said was about to enrage the only woman on the planet he would ever be afraid of.
Ares was never shocked.
In fact...it took a lot to shock him.
What Elaine had experienced...yes...yes that had shocked him.
What he had seen Solan experience...not really shocking...but it made his blood boil.
But what he saw as he materialized to where he sensed Discord left him open mouth gaping shocked at what the 'pipsqueak' had done.
Elaine took in the second of shock and then jumped in to stop Joxer as Discord was trying with all her might to keep Joxer from pummeling the man to death.
"JOXER STOP!" Discord screamed not wanting to hurt him as she felt the man who's face Joxer was smashing more than deserved what he got for touching a child that way. And for the many more that she saw in his mind as Joxer's bloodied fists kept swinging back.
It wasn't the sight of the one bloodied man that had shocked Ares.
It was the sight of the other three men that laid bloodied bruised and in pools of their own blood on the ground in front of where his current victim was.
There was no way that Joxer had not broken his fists with the amount of trauma that Ares was seeing.
Hades stood off to the side and also watched in shock as Joxer's rage had spiked after hearing what the other three men had referred to Solan as.
Not usually one to see the before of someone's death he had watched in fascination as Joxer's rage had fueled a blood bath that even the God of the Underworld was shocked by.
It was a sight he would never forget.
"Fuck me." Ares finally said slowly in awe as he felt and saw the pure rage continue to fuel Joxer.
"ARES HELP!" Elaine screamed as she tried to stop Joxer but he was pushing both women away, not feeling the pain from his fists or the slight magic that Discord had been using to try and stop him.
Ares finally snapped out of it and went to grab Joxer as he too thought what Joxer had done was justified but knew he had to stop him before he actually did kill the man. Death was too good of an escape for him.
Ares did not expect the amount of strength Joxer had when he placed his hands on him and felt that Joxer was truly checked out. Pure emotions were fueling his body which made Ares know he was going to have to use Godly powers to restrain him, and was shocked when even those caused him to barely be able to subdue Joxer from hitting the unrecognizable man at this point.
"UNCLE HELP!" Ares screamed as he wrestled with Joxer on the ground trying to stop him and knew that if he hurt Joxer that his mother would kill him - let alone Xena and Gabrielle.
Hades shocked at the request then moved to help and both were suddenly fighting a screaming Joxer as he tried to reach for Damian.
"JOXER STOP! STOP!" Elaine was screaming at the top of her lungs as the sound reminded her too much of her father and she squeezed her eyes shut to stop the memories from surging into her head.
"SHIT!" Discord yelled as she finally got up from where Ares had pushed her.
"JOXER STOP!" Elaine screamed again squeezing her eyes shut and shaking her head, and Discord knew what was happening in her mind without having to see the images.
Suddenly Hera was there with Xena, Gabrielle, Solan, Amarice and Armand.
All of them were wide eyed in shock at the sight of the room.
"MOTHER WE CAN'T STOP HIM!" Discord yelled as she pointed to Joxer as she moved towards Elaine, where both Hades and Ares were trying to stop Joxer from moving.
Joxer screamed out in a fit of pure rage that both Hades and Ares were suddenly using real powers to try and make him submit when Solan's answering scream of 'NO!' was heard before without thought Solan jumped onto Ares.
"LET HIM GO! LET HIM GO!" Solan screamed and within seconds was being pulled off by Hera who held tightly to the now struggling little boy who was trying to help his uncle.
Xena and Gabrielle had finally snapped into reality of the situation when Elaine yelled at them.
"HELP HIM!"
Xena's eyes widened ten fold when she actually saw him. His arms and face were covered in blood, his eyes were completely dark. His eyes...they stared at only one thing...and Xena's eyes followed to see the broken faced man who looked like he was lying dead in a pool of his own blood.
That's when Joxer screamed out a blood curdling yell as he fought against the two God's causing Xena to actually shiver and finally move towards him.
"XENA BE CAREFUL!" Hera screamed afraid for the possibility of Xena harming herself or the baby.
"GET OFF HIM! GET OFF HIM!" Xena yelled causing Ares to let go first and Hades a second later, and Xena barely had time to wrap herself around Joxer before he was moving with a force of strength Xena had never seen out of the man she knew.
"JOXER!" Gabrielle screamed and immediately threw herself behind his back and wrapped herself around him just like Xena.
Both women held on tight as Joxer continued to thrash and scream, but both knew that if they let go Joxer wouldn't be able to stop.
"By all Gods..." Amarice whispered out as her eyes scanned the dark red blood covered floor.
"JOXER STOP!" Elaine screamed again as she bunched herself up into a ball in the corner of the room trying to control her own body from shaking.
Discord was there by her side in a second wrapping her arms around her and despite everything she was - trying to calm down the now panicking woman that was reliving a trauma.
"JOXER!JOXER!" Xena was screaming his name as she held on for dear life as Joxer tried to pry his arms from her hold and had almost managed to when Solan finally was able to struggle free from Hera who had most certainly not wanted to hurt the boy.
"UNCLE JOXER STOP! HE CAN'T TOUCH ME ANYMORE!" Solan screamed as he wrapped himself around Joxer's side around the limbs of his two mothers.
It was Solan's voice that finally penetrated Joxer's red haze and stopped fighting against the hold on him.
"Joxer..." Hera whispered and approached and kneeled down to where she could see into his eyes.
And Hera again was shocked at the thoughts in his mind. Thoughts of how he could have stopped it if Xena had trusted him enough to tell him about Solan. Thoughts of how scared and confused Solan must have felt. For Joxer, he had placed himself in the room as if he had seen it all happen first hand...and his stomach had revolted and his heart had wanted vengence.
Hera had never seen such empathy before.
"Joxer...it's not your fault this happened. You can't lose yourself to this...because Solan still needs you. He needs you Joxer."
"Please stop..." Solan pleaded as he reached up and tenderly touched Joxer's face which caused Joxer to turn and look at him. "Please stop."
Joxer's haze began to lift, and Xena was able to watch his face morph as his eyes began to focus only on Solan.
Xena felt her heart in her throat at hearing her son plead for Joxer to stop and knew it was his voice that reached Joxer as she started to feel Joxer's body tremble beneath her.
Gabrielle was crying slightly as she held on tightly as Joxer's body finally began to sag and tremble. When she had heard Joxer scream she had known instantly it was blind rage driving him.
She had remembered the feeling from all those years ago and not once had ever thought anything could make Joxer reach anything close to it.
But seeing all of the blood surrounding them...she knew this was soo much worse than Kryton. Soo much worse.
Then Joxer was gasping and Solan wrapped his arms around Joxer's neck and Xena and Gabrielle let go finally as Joxer wrapped his arms around Solan gasping and trembling, trying to keep from crying as the emotions finally drained from him.
Joxer stood up and held tightly to Solan as Hera immediately placed her hand on Joxer's back and allowed her powers to calm him as they had earlier that day. Her hand also settling over Solan's back and both began to relax.
"Brother see to the others." Hera said softly, and Hades nodded and with a hand waved the four men to a temple nearby.
But the blood on the ground remained.
It transfixed Amarice and Armand. Both staring and unable to believe that Joxer of all people had caused this.
Xena was up and touching Solan's back still not knowing everything and only knowing that her son needed her in that second.
"Ares get your brother Apollo...Elaine and Joxer will need medicine to sleep through the night." Hera said as she was already placing Solan to sleep with her magic as Joxer held the boy tightly.
"Can...can someone please tell us how this happened?" Gabrielle asked hesitantly.
Solan had been brief and anxious to get to Joxer, only saying that Joxer was going to hurt the man that had hurt him when he was still at the centaur village.
"You're both going to need to sit down." Elaine's tired voice was heard from the corner of the room where Discord was looking completely out of her depth as she held a hand over Elaine's heart as she tried to calm her - which was the opposite of what she usually did.
In the short time of knowing Elaine she had grown to like her immensely. She was as close to a friend that she had ever had in all the years she had existed.
And in that moment Discord knew that Elaine needed someone on her side when she explained to Xena and Gabrielle what happened.
Xena was livid.
"I should have let him kill him." Xena's voice cold as ice as she thought about what had happened to her son.
The immediate knowledge of someone having hurt Solan had angered her...but when Elaine had explained what Solan had said in response to hearing her...Xena pushed aside the horrid story Elaine gave and felt like vomiting knowing that someone had touched her son in a place where she had thought him to be most safe in the world - and away from her.
"By the Gods..." Gabrielle whispered horrified at everything Elaine had said.
For the first time Gabrielle felt compassion towards Elaine...and then her heart grieved for Solan. Never would she have thought something even remotely like that could happen.
Elaine had not looked up once as she explained how Joxer had just...snapped.
Xena didn't blame Joxer in the least and wished she could have finished off what Joxer had started - but the way Solan had reacted to Joxer losing himself to the anger...she knew no matter how much she wanted to...she couldn't do that to him. Or Eve.
But still...Xena had never thought she would feel torn between feeling proud and horrified by what Joxer did.
Maybe there wasn't a right way to feel about it...but in the end...seeing that Joxer was very much capable of something like that...it worried her.
She had never seen him like that and she hoped she never would again.
Hearing him scream like that still sent a chill running down her back.
"I'm sorry...that Solan heard me but...I'm also not. You...we...never would have known if I hadn't opened my mouth." Elaine said softly as Discord stayed with her hand on Elaine's shoulder, still unwilling to break contact with Elaine as she felt the pain in her system.
Apollo was suddenly there in a flash and looked extremely concerned at Elaine. "Are you alright?"
Discord flashed him a look that read 'help' and Apollo immediately placed his hand on Elaine and when he did he was overwhelmed at the pain inside her. Surpressed memories had been flooding her system and she was barely able to stand up, let alone talk about anything with anyone.
"Are Joxer and Solan ok?" Discord asked the question knowing that Elaine was worried about the two.
"They're both asleep next to each other at the clearing with Armand and Amarice keeping watch. I offered to let them stay at my temple but..." Apollo shook his head and then looked over at Xena.
"Xena as much as I understand you needing to talk about this...Elaine's barely staying upright. She needs to rest...for a good bit." Apollo was about to use magic to help Elaine fall into a deep restful sleep when Elaine said, "wait.."
Raising her head finally Xena looked over and saw the red shot eyes and weariness in Elaine's face.
"I know you didn't ask me why we're going to Chin but...it's about Lao Ma."
Xena was instantly alert and turned all her attention on Elaine.
"Lao Ma had twin daughters after she had Ming...and...she sent them away to protect them...but one of them is bent on continuing in Ming's path...the other is trying to follow in her mother's footsteps. That's why we have to go."
Xena stared at Elaine now more than ever wanting to finally know how she knew any of this when she saw the instant that Elaine's body gave out and without thought immediately moved to catch her before she fell face forward.
"Damn! I knew she was pushing herself but...Xena she needs time to heal...mentally she's completely drained." Apollo helped lift Elaine into his hold and felt...drawn to look at her face.
"How could someone do that to their own child..." Apollo's question making Xena look at Elaine more closely.
And that's when she saw them. Hard to see on Elaine's pale skin but...they were most certainly there. Faint scars...at Elaine's neck, chest...and even her arms. Elaine had been through more than what she had told them, Xena was sure of it in that moment. And for some reason she had attached herself to Joxer.
As much as she had come to hate the girl...she now had a deep respect for her.
"How old was she when..." Xena found the half question out of her lips when the answer that was given made her stare daggers at the person who answered.
"Still a baby, just starting to crawl." Discord said as she too looked at Elaine.
Discord then sensing the way Xena looked at her glared back.
"She's not under our protection in the future Xena!" Discord growled with how the accusation in Xena's mind were towards the gods.
"Oh and I'm sure with your new little makeover you're the best of pals now!" Xena growled out knowing that whatever game the gods were playing they were using Elaine in some way or another.
Discord scoffed and actually walked up closer to Xena.
"The reason we like her Xena...is because even after everything that she has been through...she's pure of heart! What she thinks she says...and when she loves you...she loves you. You may think we were the one's that brought her here and are using her but we didn't! Her being here changed everything! And yeah...maybe it's for the best for us...but it might just be good for you and Gabrielle as well." Discord said standing toe to toe with Xena even with her being taller showing that she was not intimidated at all.
"Yeah I doubt that." Xena immediately responded.
"Enough!" Hera half yelled causing both Xena and Discord to just stare daggers at each other.
"Despite what either of you thinks this girl is not from our realm and has been nothing but forward with her intentions. I would think you Xena...would more than just appreciate her character. Not once has she done something for you but twice! And make no mistake...I did not even know that your son was in Tartarus! If Elaine had not said anything he could have been down there for...months...years without you ever knowing! And I don't have to tell you how time moves differently in the Underworld. Your child was torturing himself..."
"I know!" Xena growled and turned her head to look at Hera.
Hera stopped herself and just looked at Xena.
"I know that I owe her a debt I'll never be able to repay! But that doesn't mean I'm giving up my friend for her to take and manipulate!" Xena all but growled.
Hera then did something that made Xena feel indignant.
Hera laughed merrily.
"Is that what you think?! Friend?! Is that all you think he is? I thought you smarter than that...in fact I know you are!"
Xena just looked at Hera with a furrowed brow.
Hera began to walk towards Xena and Discord began to move away. "You know so very little about him. A friend surely knows the names of a friends parents? Do you happen to know them? Just their names perhaps?!"
Xena felt a sinking feeling in her chest as she suddenly realized that what she had just claimed...she couldn't back with simple answers to questions she should know.
"No?!" Hera asked with raised brows. "How about siblings! How many siblings does Joxer have? He knows yours and Gabrielle's...do you know all of his?"
Xena looked away and then back at Hera, not knowing if Jett was his only sibling or not and feeling incredibly stupid for not knowing.
"Surely you know his favorite things?! Food? Perhaps music? Or even since he's been beaten almost to death how you dealt with the men that did so? Did you avenge him the way Joxer has just done for Solan? Did you bring them to within an inch of their own life? This is after all...your...friend." Hera emphasizing just how truly naive Xena sounded.
Xena's nostrils flared as her heart sank at the fact that...no she didn't know...and she hadn't.
Gabrielle felt her own heart begin to sink as she realized her thoughts from earlier were being confirmed and the fact that...she didn't know either. She...she didn't know Joxer's favorite food...or if he had more siblings...or...or...by all the gods. Elaine knew how Joxer's mother had sung to him...and she didn't even know Joxer's mother's name. How in Tartarus was that even possible.
"Do us all the favor of not referring to a man that has held your corpse in his arms and cried a... friend... Xena. You have been weighed and measured...and found wanting... to have that privilege." Hera said the last bit with her eyes blazing in accusation.
Xena swallowed the lump in her throat and tried to keep glaring at Hera as her eyes held back the moisture that wanted to escape.
"I have seen into that boys soul...and know for certain that..." Hera stopped talking as she realized that Xena was very close to crying.
Xena didn't know why Hera hesitated to give another striking blow with her words since she was winning...but she seemed to get this strange look in her eyes and pulled back.
Hera looked away almost as if she was ashamed for having pushed so much.
But then let out a breath and turned back to look at Xena with a stern look.
"He's a good man that has taken your crumbs of friendship and built his life around them. Have the decency to know he may call himself your friend...but you have not gained such a right."
With that Hera vanished from sight, as did Discord and Hades.
"She's right yah know." Ares voice filled the now empty room.
Xena turned and barely kept herself from allowing Ares to see her weak when he motioned to the ground.
"Never thought the..." Ares stopped himself from insulting Joxer as he had gained a respect for him that night.
"I never thought he would ever have it in him do something like this." He'd never admit to it but the fact that he had used his powers and Joxer had still thrashed around had impressed him more than any act of valor ever had.
"What's your point?" Xena asked with a gravely voice.
Ares turned and glared at Xena and when he saw her eyes eased his stance and relaxed just that little bit.
"You know the reason I never even bothered to threaten Joxer?" Ares asked without beating around the bush.
"Why's that?" Xena's nostrils flared in anger.
Ares moved to be within inches of Xena's face causing Gabrielle to tense up and wait for what Ares would say.
"Because..."
Ares searched her eyes and saw that she really didn't know. He didn't need to read her mind. And he understood then what Elaine meant when she said Joxer was the unseen hero.
He couldn't believe that the girl was right.
Ares wasn't shocked easily.
But in this moment he honestly couldn't believe that Xena didn't know the reason. Ares just shook his head and laughed without humor.
"Because you always treated him as dispensable."
And with that, Ares disappeared into thin air.
Xena finally allowed the tears to fall and then gasped in a breath as she looked down and saw the blood on the floor and found her heart beating a mile a minute.
"Xena..." Gabrielle whispered as she watched Xena cry and not knowing the reason why.
"She's going to win." Xena whispered as she looked anywhere but at Gabrielle.
Gabrielle's mouth opened slightly unsure of what Xena was talking about when Xena finally looked over at her.
"Elaine's going to take him...and I don't think I can stop her."
Gabrielle just stared at Xena. "Xena..."
"Gabrielle I just watched a man I thought couldn't fight to save his own life spill blood all over this room...and I've traveled with him for over five years! I could have sworn he would have never have been capable of this!" Xena gestured to the ground as she continued to cry.
"Tell me you can answer the questions Hera asked and I'll tell you we can keep him from leaving us." Xena said staring into Gabrielle's eyes as pure sadness radiated from her own.
"Xena we can't just give up! It's...it's only been a DAY Xena! I...I can't give up!" Gabrielle was getting ready to throw a fit when Xena's face became angry and she moved towards Gabrielle.
"You've walked beside him for thousands of miles Gabrielle. THOUSANDS! Tell me how in Tartarus how YOU who couldn't stop talking to save her LIFE doesn't know a damn thing about a man that was IN LOVE with her!"
Gabrielle winced hard and her heart tightened at the words and anger formed inside her at the fact that Xena was blaming her for...
How she didn't know...
And then the fact that Xena had said 'was' made the tears appear in her eyes.
Xena knew instantly she had said the wrong thing at the look in Gabrielle's eyes. But it didn't calm her in the least bit.
If anything it made her angrier to think that Gabrielle who loved to question her about anything and everything knew absolutely nothing about Joxer. She at least had an excuse of NEVER wanting to talk!
"That's not fair..." Gabrielle began as she allowed a few tears to escape, "I didn't know..."
"Gabrielle..."
"I DIDN'T KNOW XENA!" Gabrielle yelled as her anger surged at how Xena was trying to make this all her fault.
"WELL SHE DOES! SHE KNOWS EVERYTHING ABOUT JOXER APPARENTLY!" Xena yelled out in anger...but she knew she wasn't really angry at Gabrielle...or even Elaine.
Her son had been touched and she hadn't known. Seeing the look in Joxer's eyes she knew that he had wanted to tear Damian apart and would have if Solan hadn't of been there. And the fact that Joxer would feel that way about her son that he had JUST met...her heart felt a love for him she couldn't even express it in words.
"DAMN IT XENA! I'M NOT TO BLAME FOR THIS!" Gabrielle yelled back with her eyes bulging and her heart all but clenching tightly as inside she knew...Xena completely blamed her for what was happening.
Hera's words repeating in her head 'you are the bridge which keeps them close but still far apart.'
Xena was gasping for breath and tears still fell down her face as she tried to control her emotions...but she knew she was right.
Elaine was going to take Joxer from them, and the strangle hold that clenched around Xena's heart at the idea left her more than just confused.
It scared her to her core.
Xena looked down and took some deep breaths, and Gabrielle began to calm down as well.
"We can't give up Xena." Gabrielle said the words with a clogged throat with tears running down her own face.
Xena closed her eyes and knew Gabrielle was right.
"I love him Xena...I...just...never thought it was..." Gabrielle admitting softly and then winced when she thought of how easily Elaine had made it look to be with Joxer.
"She loves him too Gabrielle...enough to go against the both of us to have him." Xena said finally and shared a look with Gabrielle finally making Gabrielle understand exactly why she was upset.
Elaine was winning...because their love wasn't enough. Elaine loved him more than they did and that is what Hera had wanted to say to Xena...the words that she kept herself from saying.
The crushing blow that Xena couldn't allow herself to live with.
Xena swallowed the lump in her throat and looked around the room once more.
"This is how much he loves us." Xena said as she looked at the floor soaked with men's blood that had harmed her child and then she whispered, "And his love is almost gone."
When Xena and Gabrielle had realized that they were left on the other side of Greece from that morning, Xena had called out for Aphrodite who had appeared with just one call and stopped at the sight she had been brought into.
"Joxer...did this?" Aphrodite asked with wide eyes and a look between bard and warrior.
Neither could say a word and so just gave a slight nod.
Aphrodite closed her eyes and tried not to cry, knowing one of only two reasons Joxer would ever become this violent.
Gabrielle and Xena looked slightly shocked that Aphrodite was crying, but said nothing as without a second passing they were back in the clearing of their camp...
And at the sight that greeted them, made Xena's heart clench.
Huddled together near the fire where Xena had made her area to sleep, Solan was splayed over Joxer's chest with Joxer holding Solan to him with one arm wrapped around Solan.
Gabrielle let a tear fall from her eye at the way Solan held onto Joxer in sleep - almost as if he was afraid to let go.
"They're alright for tonight...but he broke both his hands...I didn't have the heart to pull them apart." Aphrodite whispered.
Xena looked over at Aphrodite with a look of gratitude for taking care of them in a moment she should have that Aphrodite just shrugged a shoulder.
"They already love each other Xena...it's the least I could do." Aphrodite whispered, not wanting to wake either of the two.
Apollo then appeared with Elaine and slowly placed her down next to Joxer, where she immediately even in sleep turned and snuggled next to the man.
"I'll come by in the afternoon and help heal his hands. He's not going to be able to do much the next few days. Even after they're healed it's going to feel extremely stiff." Apollo said as his eyes never left Elaine's figure.
Gabrielle pushed aside her own feelings and had only one question for Apollo.
"Is he going to remember..."
"Sort of." Apollo said understanding the question before even fully asked. "He'll remember what caused him to snap but...nothing afterwards. I think it best it stay that way." Apollo said staring into Gabrielle's blue eyes in a pointed way.
Gabrielle understood that it could cause Joxer pain if he remembered. And she didn't want that. She never wanted that.
Taking a deep breath in she did the only thing to do that was right.
"Thank you...all of you...I...I don't know what we would have done if..." Gabrielle shook her head, not wanting to even think about it.
"He's a good man." Apollo said as he looked down at the hand of Elaine's that had made it's way over to Joxer's arm. Even asleep Elaine reached for him. But seeing why the man had done what he had...Apollo had a deep respect for Joxer.
"I'd of done the same thing." Armand said from the other side of the campfire as he looked over at Joxer and then at Xena.
"He has my respect." Armand then looked back at Joxer. "And if he needs it...my help from now on."
"Yeah." Amarice said agreeing with Armand as she too watched the two sleep.
"Call me when he needs help healing...I won't be far." Apollo said a few moments later, and with that he was gone.
"I'll be by in the morning too. Elaine relived some pretty horrific stuff tonight. I know both of you don't like her but...she's been through things that neither of you have even heard of before. And that should horrify the both of you." Aphrodite said as she turned and looked both women in the eye before giving a really sad smile and shimmering away - no pink hearts.
Xena swallowed another lump in her throat and slowly made her way over to Joxer's other side and slowly moved a pelt to where she could be close to Solan as he slept, sleeping sideways she looked at both Solan and Joxer's face. Joxer had obviously taken a few punches to his face and would most definitely be black and blue tomorrow.
She felt that tightness in her chest again as she looked at her little boy, alive and sleeping on a man that had been willing to kill just for someone hurting him, and again thought how Solan had been willing to torture himself just to see her.
Xena moved closer to the two and placed her hand on top of Solan's back just below where Joxer's was and laid her head next to Joxer's and slowly closed her eyes, hoping that come morning it wasn't all a nightmare...and her child would still be there.
Gabrielle said nothing as she watched, and found a pelt being handed to her by Amarice with a small sad smile of her own and a motioning of her head telling Gabrielle to go.
Gabrielle didn't hesitate and made her way next to Xena and laid down her bed and turned towards Xena.
Laying down and closing her own eyes she knew that the morning would be there soon...and she knew it would be another day to fight.
Because Xena had made it clear that they weren't in a battle for their lives, they were in a war to keep what was theirs.
And she would fight for what was theirs, mortal or Gods, she would fight.
Author's End Note: I know you didn't see that coming, and I know SOMEONE out there will LEAVE A REVIEW! Come on people! There's not many of us around still and those of us that are need to stick together! PLEASE leave a review for this chapter!