"You and No Other" pt 1

You and No Other, part 1
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DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

Xena, Warrior Princess
Gabrielle, Bard of Poteidaia
Joxer, the Mighty
Hippolyta, a horse doctor
Nikos, Hippolyta's husband
Ares, god of war
Persephone, goddess of resurrection
Augusta, owner of the Split Tree, also a midwife
Hecuba, Gabrielle's mother
Lila, Gabrielle's sister
Celandine, daughter of Joxer and Gabrielle
Dorcas, Joxer's mother (dream sequence)
Callisto, Warrior Queen (dream sequence)
Argo, Xena's horse
Jaromin, Joxer and Gabrielle's horse
Dorian, Nikos's horse
Polonius, another horse
Priestess of Artemis
Villagers and Soldiers

Rating: R for mature themes, violence and romance.
Summary: Gabrielle's condition leads Joxer to finally propose. Before the couple can settle down, however, a great war begins and Xena is called off to fight. But the one who started it all may have a few scores to settle for himself.
Timeline: Right after "Black Horses", then seven months afterward. After The Bitter Suite and before Sacrifice II, actually, about right after Forget Me Not. Ares has not yet collected on Gabrielle's debt.
Note: This is the third story in the "Black Horses" trilogy. It's recommended that you read them in order, or else you probably won't understand them as well...

"You're what?" Joxer shouted, cupping a hand over his mouth in shock. "How did that happen?"

Gabrielle gave him a warm, friendly smile. "Well, Joxer, you, how should I put this? Remember what we did after you died? It was your first time. You should remember." She sighed and rested one arm on his shoulder.

He thought for a moment, wrinkling his brows. Then it dawned on him. The woman he loved was carrying his child. He didn't know whether the tears that streaked his face were of joy or sadness.

"Gabby, that's, that's...wonderful!" He embraced her tightly, stroking her strawberry hair and kissing her neck. "I mean, congratulations!"

Her whole body shook with the emotion she felt. "I can't believe it. I'm so happy. After Hope, I never thought I could have another. But I was wrong."

Joxer's mind overflowed with the thoughts he had banished for so long. After all he had been through with the beautiful bard, he had never dared to ask the one question that would join them for life. Now, summoning all his courage, he took her right hand and clasped it in his.

"I don't know how to say this, Gabby," he began, swallowing hard, "but..." Still the fear coursed through his already addled brain.

"What is it?" Her eyes refused to leave his.

"Gabrielle, I would be honored if...if I could spend the rest of my life with you." Strangely his voice didn't crack this time.

To his pleasant surprise, she hugged him again and whispered ever so softly into one ear. "Yes, Joxer. I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

His brown eyes overflowed with tears, and now he knew what happiness was.

In Hippolyta's humble cottage, the newly affianced couple found Xena sitting alone next to the remains of the cooking fire. The healer was nowhere in sight, but the Warrior Princess greeted her friends with a look that suggested she may have known all along.

"Gabrielle. Joxer." She stood and hugged them each. "I want to thank you again for risking everything to save me." Even after her prolonged illness, her great strength and warm demeanor had returned.

The bard sniffled slightly, her body unable to stop shaking with emotion. "It was worth it. I don't think I could have gone on living without you," she noticed Joxer's sad pout, "or Joxer." He brightened instantly.

For a moment Joxer stood there, nervously studying his boots and trying to regain composure. He cleared his throat and looked Xena straight in the eye.

"Um, Xena, I think Gabrielle and I have, er, something important to tell you." He choked up and beckoned for his fiancee to continue.

She gave a brilliant smile. "Xena, Joxer and I are getting married."

There was stunned silence, then Xena too smiled and embraced her best friend anew. "That's...that's wonderful! I'm happy for you both." Her friends detected the note of regret in her voice. All three knew that their days of adventures together were soon to be a thing of the past.

Gabrielle read her mind. "Xena, we're only getting married. I mean, we can all travel together, and..." She saw how sad the normally stoic Warrior Princess had become, and trailed off.

With a small, sad smile, Xena gently put a hand on Gabrielle's shoulder. "No, Gabrielle, we all know that I'm a loner, remember? I want you and Joxer to be safe and happy, and a life on the road, having to fight, is my life. It's not yours. You two need to live where you can be a bard. It's what you do best."

The blonde tapped her foot. "How am I supposed to be a bard with no hero for inspiration?"

Xena laughed through her tears. "I'll probably be visiting so often that you'll be sick of me. And besides, you have enough scrolls to last a lifetime."

Joxer interrupted quickly. "Can you imagine Gabrielle telling the stories of the Warrior Princess, with me on the lute? Man, people will come from miles around." Gabrielle gave him a quick peck on the cheek and he blushed tremendously.

"You know, there's an inn in Poteidaia where we could perform. It's called the Split Tree, if I remember. The owner is an old friend of my parents, and we could get married there and live with my family until we found a place of our own."

"Good idea, Gabby," Joxer responded, smoothing her long strawberry hair. "I never did get to meet your parents, and gods forbid you should ever meet mine. My father is still in jail, as far as I know, and my mom, well, my mom would probably never stop hugging you."

Xena rubbed her hands together eagerly. "How about a celebration snack? Hippolyta just brought in some food from her garden."

"Say, where is Hippolyta?" Gabrielle scanned the small cottage to no avail.

"Wasn't she here when we came in?" Joxer asked, nibbling on a stray radish. He realized it had been hours since he or Gabrielle had last eaten.

"She said she was going to tend to your horse, the stallion. Maybe I should go check on her," replied Xena as she trotted out the door into the night.

The couple enjoyed a quiet moment by the fireplace. Finally Joxer spoke.

"I must be the luckiest guy in the world. I get to marry the prettiest girl alive."

Gabrielle grinned at her fiance and ruffled his hair. "Well, I can't say I have an Adonis on my hands, but he is the sweetest guy in history. And he knows how to flatter a girl."

They enjoyed a long laugh that was especially refreshing after the strife of the last month.

"Hippolyta?" Xena called softly as she entered the darkened stables. Argo, seeing her mistress for the first time in three weeks, whinnied, and in the next stall, the great black mass of Jaromin poked his head over the stall door. "Are you here?"

Only the soft snorts of the horses answered her. Gently Xena stroked Argo's velvet muzzle and whispered to her mare.

"Where is she, girl? Did she come through here?"

The golden horse snorted and tossed her head.

"Thanks, girl."

Xena turned and vanished into the night.

Hippolyta, hunched in prayer, was barely distinguishable from the green of the forest as Xena found her. The warrior kept her distance, unsure if the taciturn healer was even awake. Then her pale, delicate face lifted itself upward and a long, mournful, wordless cry came out.

Why would she...

Then Xena remembered the shrine to Nikos, the husband she believed to be long dead. But she knew now that he was far from dead.

"Hippolyta? Are you all right?"

The smaller woman straightened herself and indignantly smoothed her robes, trying to maintain a shard of pride. "Xena. Forgive me, but my heart hurts more than ever."

"Then you know."

Tears glistened in her silvery eyes. "Yes, and I'm very happy for her."

Xena frowned. "Her?"

Hippolyta cocked her head. "Gabrielle. Aren't she and Joxer engaged?"

"Yes, they are, Hippolyta. But that's not what I came here to tell you."

The women were at a loss for words. "Are you trying to tell me that the stranger was..."

"Yes." Xena's low voice was barely audible. "Nikos. He's alive, Hippolyta. He helped Gabrielle and Joxer find the Land of the Black Horses."

The little healer clasped Xena's hand with surprising strength. "By the gods! My Nikos, still alive, after all these years! But how is that possible?"

Xena gave her new friend a quick smile. "He's exiled, not dead. Gabrielle told me all about him. He loves you more than ever."

"Come on. I'll prepare some cider. You must tell me everything."

As they left the simple but elegant shrine, the starlight glistened on the flowers Hippolyta had brought her lost husband.

The door swung inward with a soft creak. Gabrielle still sat awake by the last of the fire, wrapped in a blanket and humming softly. Joxer was snoring loudly under a heap of rags nearby, his chest gently rising and falling with each breath. The warrior and the healer regarded him with amusement.

"I think he deserves a rest, don't you?"

"After all he's been through, sure." Xena and Gabrielle shared a chuckle.

Hippolyta brought her friends cups of warm cider and gingerly sat down on a pelt.

"Gabrielle, I know it's late, but please tell me of my Nikos. I'm so sorry he can't be here himself." Concern radiated through her voice.

The bard took a sip of her drink and pondered for a moment. "Well, he saved our lives more than once. He's a very resourceful man. After the great battle he spoke of, Ares banished him as punishment. Apparently he's been wandering the north, the barbarian lands, for the last ten years. He guided us both to the island, and he often spoke of you, Hippolyta."

She seemed intrigued and hinged on Gabrielle's every word. "How did he...I mean, how did he seem? Was he bitter?"

Gabrielle shook her head. "I woudn't say bitter, but he seemed hurt, and especially angry at Ares. He didn't speak much, and when he did, he was usually being sarcastic."

"Ah, that's my Nikos. But he's a changed man, Gabrielle. Being a warrior like he is changes a man forever."

She tried to ignore the knowing, almost sad look Xena gave her. Yes, picking up a sword changed you forever. Gabrielle had learned that the hard way.

Xena broke the awkward silence. "You two can talk some more, but I need to get some rest. We'll probably be heading out tomorrow, and Hippolyta has certainly been a generous host." She polished off the last of her cider and stretched carefully.

"Good night, Xena," said Gabrielle. "It's good to be together again."

Hippolyta waited until the Warrior Princess was out of earshot before she continued. "I have so many fond memories of him, and maybe someday we can be together again. Only the gods know." She smiled at Gabrielle. "But let's talk about the present. I'm so happy for you and Joxer. You'll be a wonderful couple."

She looked fondly over at her future husband, still sound asleep and grinning ever so softly even as he slept. "Oh, Hippolyta, he's such a gentle, kind soul. I feel so lucky to have him."

The healer placed a hand on Gabrielle's blanket. "You're carrying his child, aren't you?"

Gabrielle was shocked. "How did you know that?"

"Oh, call it intuition. I never had a child, but I am a healer, and I've delivered my share of calves and foals. You can see it."

"It's that glow, right?" joked Gabrielle, laughing at her own wit. "Yes. I'm going to be a mother."

Hippolyta smiled. "And you'll make an excellent mother. Where will the little one be raised?"

"Poteidaia, my hometown, at least until Joxer and I find a place of our own. We plan to perform at the tavern there and live with my family. I know my mom will be thrilled to have a grandchild, since my sister Lila isn't even married yet. And she's a couple of years older than me."

"Does Joxer have a brother?" Hippolyta winked playfully.

"Well," the bard sighed, "that's a story for another night."

Across the room Joxer snored on, oblivious to everything in his slumber.

The eastern horizon glowed softly with pastel shades of pink and green. Dawn was a few hours away, but Joxer was already up. He shivered slightly in the early morning chill and pulled his blanket tighter around him. With a brief glimpse, he saw the sleeping figures of Xena, Gabrielle and Hippolyta. Not one moved. Good. He didn't want the women, particularly his fianc*e, to know what he was up to.

His stomach growled slightly, reminding him of how starving he was. Joxer helped himself to a piece of bread and a few grapes, then devoured more food. He washed it down with the last of the jug of cider.

As carefully as he could, Joxer crept outside to the stables. Jaromin, the great stallion, greeted him with a loud neigh and banged one massive hoof against the stall door.

"Quiet, boy! Come on, don't wake up the ladies," he whispered frantically.

Under a pile of hay and damp horse blankets, Joxer found what he was looking for. The familiar battered armor, along with its comical helmet, lay underneath, already smelling of mildew after a month of disuse. Joxer almost laughed aloud as he realized how ridiculous he must have looked wearing that junk. And he had thought it befit a great warrior.

Now, however, he was truly a changed man. He had proposed to the woman of his dreams, conquered his greatest fears, and risked his life to save his best friend. The old Joxer was dead forever. Or was he? The odd sword, in its prized scabbard, still hung around the young man's waist, never to be forgotten. Like Xena, his past was forever an integral part of who he was.

Grunting with effort, Joxer wrapped the strange-looking outfit up in the horse blanket and tied a loose knot. He searched the cramped stables for a shovel or spade of some sort, and finding none, opted for a pitchfork instead. He dragged the cumbersome bundle behind him, noticing the familiar clanking noises of the mismatched armor.

He was freely sweating even in the chilly air when he reached his destination: the top of the hill of which he and Gabrielle were so fond. With the growing light of day behind him, Joxer dug at the soft loam with the pitchfork. Within fifteen minutes the hole was large enough for his satisfaction.

"Persephone, my goddess, I want you to know that I am putting the old Joxer behind me forever. Thanks to you, I've become the man I always wanted to be. Thank you so much." He was surprisingly dignified even as he spoke to himself.

Unceremoniously he tossed the wrapped blanket into the pit. He caught a glimpse of the familiar helmet, and tears almost sprang to his brown eyes as he realized how far he had really come. He stifled a sob, trying to gaze with some dignity into the distance. Satisfied that his work was done, he quickly shoveled the dirt atop his old getup, realizing at last the burden that had been lifted from him. As he turned around, pitchfork in hand, he almost ran into Xena. His heart sank as it dawned on him that she had been there all along.

"I saw what you did, Joxer. And I'm very proud of you."

Joxer looked right into the warrior's piercing blue eyes, wiping a stray tear from his own. "I feel like I'm finally on the right path, Xena. But I couldn't have done it without you, or especially Gabrielle." He paused and swallowed the lump in his throat. "But man, that wasn't easy. You know, I made that armor myself."

Xena chuckled softly. "Yes, hand-pounded. You've only mentioned that about a thousand times. But truly, Joxer, I think you're better off without it. You have the heart of a lion, but both you and Gabrielle will be happier without having to live the lives of warriors. You're both new to it, and it's not an easy life. I've been at it so long that it's all I know. You need to enjoy life. Live it doing something you love, with someone you love."

The young man hid the single daisy he had plucked behind his back. "Yeah, well, Gabby and I are going to tell stories and play music at this tavern in Poteidaia. And then, who knows? We'll go wherever the road takes us."

"Not without me visiting, you won't." Amiably she tousled Joxer's hair, and reached to slap the breastplate that was no longer there. "You'll probably have to set aside a room just for me."

"I guess you two rose and shone without me, huh?" Joxer and Xena turned to see Gabrielle, still yawning as she made her way up the hill. The young couple embraced and Xena smiled fondly.

"Ready for breakfast?" Joxer asked eagerly.

"Yeah, Hippolyta is fixing a big meal to see us off. Eggs, biscuits, fruit, you name it, she's got it. And I'm starving." The bard rubbed her stomach, feeling for the signs of life within.

"You're eating for two now. I almost forgot. Just don't start asking for gizzards in sheep lard or pickled cucumbers, or else I'll really start worrying about you," joked Xena.

The trio walked back down to the cottage as the sun made a splash of gold over the distant mountains. Joxer, sharing a laugh with his beloved, was finally leaving his old self behind.

"Well, I was wondering when you three were coming back," Hippolyta quipped as she staggered under a huge tray laden with steaming food. Xena quickly relieved the smaller woman of her burden and placed it on the roughly hewn table.

"Hippolyta, we want to thank you again for all your help. It's hard to believe we've been here for as long as we have. You've been the best hostess we could ask for, and we're eternally grateful." The warrior spoke for them all.

The healer, modest as always, merely shrugged at the praise. "As I've told you, you're welcome. I never imagined what I was getting into that night, when I found a girl with a dislocated shoulder and a lame horse. But it's brought some excitement into my otherwise dull life." She seemed strangely like a young girl as she tried to suppress a grin.

"Shall we eat?" Joxer asked even as he was nibbling on one of Hippolyta's fresh biscuits. "Mmm, Gabby, try one of these. Hippolyta, you really know how to cook."

"Well, someone did help me out a little. He shall remain nameless, however." Gabrielle almost spat out her mouthful of cordial trying not to laugh.

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