Rating: PG-PG13
Summary: Seven months after the events in "Third Prophecy", Xena and newly engaged couple meet up with Hercules and Iolaus. Shortly after, while Joxer and Gabrielle begin to plan a wedding, the couple find out that they have been invited to Egypt, where Cleopatra intends to host the ceremony to thank Xena and Gabrielle, not to mention Joxer, for saving her life. But trouble, and a stowaway or two, is with them as they travel to the land of the Nile, and they may have to save the Egyptian queen, and a brother or two, once again.
Relationship: G/J, A/Cl
Note: Hi! This is my second story in the Herc/Xenaverse, and it is a sequel to "Third Prophecy". Now, as I stated before, I will probably make mistakes with characters, and seasons, and accuracy. Please, either ignore it or correct me politely. I don't mean to insult anyone from the start, but someone from another list corrected me rather rudely once, and it really put a crimp in my writing for a while (despite the fact that they turned out to be wrong anyway...). So feel free to tell me how wrong I am.
Note2: This is dedicated to my muse, Xander Harris, and all the people who sent me feedback on "Third Prophecy"...it was a really nice welcome into a new fandom.
NOTE 3: This will go slowly!
NOTE 4: Not Beta read! And now:

Gabrielle was absolutely beat.

Every muscle in her body ached and burned within her skin, and her mind was in a total slump. The day had been filled with fighting, tension, and other rather unpleasant things, and at this point, all the blonde bard wanted was to reach the bed which was just three feet away from her.

However, her body had other ideas. It had no intention of moving another step, and at this point, she was in no position to argue with it. She didn't really want to argue with it, for it had served her well today. But she did realize that there was a problem when her muscles decided that standing was too hard of a job to do as well.

The bard felt her legs go out from beneath her, and then she experienced a falling sensation that she absolutely hated. But before she could hit the floor, Gabrielle felt two familiar hands grab her gently around the waist, stopping her descent to the floor. Carefully, as if she was a delicate vase, the strong, tender hands picked her up and transported her safely to the comfy-looking bed. Then they lay her down, and the blonde got to see the face she had known for years and finally had admitted to loving.

Joxer, his eyes the dark brown she loved to drown herself in, stared down at her, a quirky little smile on his oddly handsome face as he placed her on the blanket. Gabrielle looked up into that face, and felt a smile grace her lips to answer his. Gods, how she loved him. How she yearned to be with him. How she loved to see that grin, or hear his voice, or feel his touch against her. And to think that she'd thought him no more than a bother (at least, that's what she'd thought she'd thought) till a few months ago.

Gabrielle's mind immediately brought her back to that point in time, one of the many that had changed the course of her life. Joxer had become something truly unique that day through a twist of Fate and the Gods, a creature part man and part wolf. That day, his heart was tested, and he'd passed with flying colors. Not only had he shown that he was ruled by his heart, but he'd allowed her to see just how much he loved her specifically, which had brought the realization that she loved him as well. And things had just gone great from there.

Yes, he had changed, Gabrielle admitted. He was no longer the clumsy man she had known. But the important things, the things she loved about him, hadn't changed, and the changes that were made were for the better.

Being part wolf, he had gotten enhanced senses, and Joxer had acquired a grace and speed he'd never had before, both of which prompting him to ask for training in the martial arts from Xena. At first she had been a bit skeptical, but he had shown himself early on to be a good pupil, one who listened instead of trying to show up his teacher, and his animal abilities had made him a fine fighter in the months that had gone by.

And yet, Xena's greatest apprehension hadn't come true. Due to all Joxer's boasting and singing of 'Joxer the Mighty', the warrior princess had always sort of feared what would happen should the young man ever actually become a true warrior. But he had laid her fears to rest early, showing a rather mature calm now that he had great prowess. No longer afraid of not being good enough, he didn't feel the need to flaunt it or use it for stupid reasons, two things Xena admitted it had taken years for herself to learn. Now that he could actually defend himself, he was now free to be the gentle, kind-hearted, rather humble young man that he really was.

But through it all, he remained Joxer. He was still forgot things, and while he never wore his 'armor' again, he still kept that silly hat as a momento. He would still get her flowers every morning, and he would still cook her breakfast. Joxer continued to become embarrassed over the silliest things, and he still goofed up many a time. But Gabrielle had to admit that she wouldn't have it any other way. She loved him exactly as he was.

So, pulling all the strength she had left, the blonde pushed herself up and kissed her beloved on the lips. Joxer, surprised but happily so, kissed her back with equal passion, but quickly cut it off as he lowered her head down to the mattress. He pulled back a moment later though, much to her sleepy annoyance.

"You're tired, Gabby..." he said softly, the slight growl in his voice telling her that he wished she wasn't, "Go to sleep...Xena's already hit the pillows, and you ought to join her..."

"So, you don't want me anymore?" Gabrielle asked with a catty smile, "Think I should hook up with the warrior princess instead of my favorite wolf?" He grinned slightly, then quickly kissed her again.

"You know what I meant, Gabby. Go to sleep. Here, beside me..."

The bard gave another grin, and he began to take off some of her clothes carefully with not a hint of sexuality. Just caring. And then she watched as he took off the majority of his clothes and rolled next to her on the mattress. Joxer extinguished the flame that had lit the room, then moved his body so that it was next to hers.

"Goodnight, Gabby...I love you." He said quietly in the darkness, "Get some rest. You need it..."

"Goodnight, Joxer...I love you too..." she replied, grinning in the dark, "We both need some rest. We begin planning the wedding tomorrow, if you don't remember..."

"Oh, I remember." Joxer answered with an amused growl, "And I can't wait."

Then Gabrielle smiled, and fell asleep, but Joxer remained awake. Slowly and carefully, so as not to wake her up, the young man turned to look at his love lying in the bed next to him.

Gods, she was beautiful, he observed as he watched her tired form on the bed. The golden hair tumbling before her eyes in sleep, the petite frame rising and falling with each deep, even breath, the sweet features of her face, which were now calm and still. By Hades, he loved her. Every part of him, down to the bottom of his soul, longed for her and the love that she had for him. Joxer, both his human side and his wolf, would willingly die for her. Looking at her in the gentle light of the crescent moon, he wished he could howl his joy for all to hear. But he didn't wish to wake her up.

So, instead of that, he caressed her face once with his hand, turned around, and went to sleep beside her.

"And, now that we have celebrated our two womanly heroes, I shall sing a fine round to their companion, and our last hero of the day, Joxer!"

Wine went flying from the mouth of two men in the back of the tavern at this announcement, while the others there held up their drinks in salute and cried for more. The two men in the back, who were strangers to all there, watched all this with amazement.

"Joxer?!" the taller one asked, his long blonde-brown hair flying in his face as he jumped in shock. The blue eyes the stranger possessed widened as well in disbelief.

"Of course!" answered the townsman next to him, a vineyard worker named Durkas, "He, his fiancée, and Xena herself saved our village this morning from the warlord who was trying to take all of our wine-barrels."

"But, Joxer?" the other stranger asked, this one rather short, "Don't you mean that he tripped over some of your wine-barrels?"

"No." Durkas replied, his tone telling the two that he was clearly perplexed, "Why would he do that? He is a fine warrior, and he indeed saved our village today. In fact, it was he who faced down the warlord himself, forcing him to surrender..."

"Surrender? To Joxer?" the first asked slowly, as if trying absorb the knowledge only to have it rejected.

"Yes!" the man cried, getting upset at this point. What was up with these travelers? Do they think I'm some kind of idiot peasant? "Of course he surrendered! Joxer the Steel Claws, beat him in battle!"

"The what?" the shorter one asked.

"Steel Claws!" Durkas answered, "Surely, you've heard of him. He's been traveling with Xena for the last few months. They say that he isn't truly human, you know..."

"No." the tall one said, rather deliberately, "I didn't."

"Yes, part wolf and part man..." the vineyard worker told them, "Completely unique in the world of Gods and Men, with no other like him. Supposedly, he was affected by the curse of King Lycaon or some such, or that's what they say. Leaders all over seek to meet him..."

The two didn't answer.

The worker smiled, thinking of all the times nobles and other supposed 'superiors' to him were less knowledgeable about common everyday things. To think, these travelers didn't know of Xena's traveling companion, especially considering the great interest of most people about him. He wondered if the stranger knew about the Wolf and the Bard's engagement. Well, Durkas intended to tell them.

"And you're also aware that that bard, Gabrielle, is betrothed to him, aren't you?" Durkas asked with a grin. The short stranger's eyes widened in shock and just a bit of dismay entered his tone when he asked about it.

"Truly?" He questioned, "Gabrielle is going to marry Joxer?"

"Of course..." Durkas replied rather grumpily. It was fun to bother these strangers, but their immense stupidity was bothering him, "And if you don't believe me, go up to the inn rooms and ask them yourself!"

And with that, the vineyard worker huffed off with his drink, leaving a rather nonplused and curious pair sitting at a table.

"Well, Iolaus, do you think what that man was saying was true?" The tall stranger asked, sipping his wine while he thought.

"I don't know, Herc..." the shorter man answered with a shrug, "I mean...Joxer?"

"People can change, Iolaus...and they change especially fast when the Gods are involved...I just hope that he hasn't changed for the worse."

"I doubt," the other replied with a bit of hurt in his tone, "that Gabrielle would consent to marry him if he wasn't...good."

The larger man smiled comfortingly, then put his hand on the other's arm in a reassuring gesture.

"Do you want to go up and check on them? Make sure that Joxer isn't some...monster?"

The short man's eyes shone in the low light, and he put his arm on the others in thanks.

"Yeah, Herc. Thanks..."

And the two got up, and headed up the stairs...

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