Note: In case you can't tell from the title, this is a sequel to "A Minstrel's Life For Me". You'll probably want to read that one first...

Summary: The continuation of the adventures of Joxer and Rochelle, as BIG secrets threaten to break Joxer's heart, and get him, Rochelle, Xena, Gabrielle and a whole bunch of other people, into a lot of trouble.

Our story to this point: Not-So-Bumbling Boy (Joxer) meets Pretty-And -Sassy Girl (Rochelle) Are stuck together for one week in tavern, righting wrongs and singing songs...being mighty all day long. FALL in love.

NOW, it gets interesting.....

Rating: R, 'cause of all the mushy romance stuff..and some very heavy duty violence and mild langauge.

PROLOGUE
(from "A Minstrel's Life for Me")

Joxer looked up, tears now slipping down his cheeks as well. "Thank the gods," he breathed. He didn't know what he would have done if she had said anything else, but 'I love you.' He looked down at her. "I love you, Rochelle," he whispered, and kissed her once more. Then he saw the flash of bronze in the sky out of the corner of his eye. "Look," he said into her lips, and turned to watch the sun set in the western sky.

She settled herself in his arms, her back against his chest, his arms around her waist. She leaned her head against his shoulder, and turned so one of his hands was draped along her hip. They sat silently, watching the sun slip below the horizon.

"Y'know, Jox," she said. "I had a dream about us doing this. Watching the sunset, I mean."

"Me too," he said. "Maybe it wasn't a dream. Maybe it was a glimpse into the future--a vision." He thought, a idea forming in his head. "Hey! Maybe this is a new thing--I can be an oracle or something--Joxer the Omnipotent--or something like that."

Rochelle turned her head to give him a dirty look.

"Joxer the Knowledgeable?"

Her eyes narrowed.

"Joxer the Sort-of-Right?"

She gave up. She giggled helplessly. "Oh, Joxer," she laughed, reaching up to stroke his cheek.

He shrugged, then gave a wry chuckle. "I'm being silly again, aren't I?" he asked.

She nodded. "Moderately, dear heart," she smiled.

"Aw," he said. "I don't need all that, anyway." He hugged her a little tighter. "I've got you."

Rochelle smiled, and snuggled as close as she could to him. "Yeah," she agreed. "You most certainly do."

They watched the sun set some more.

"Joxer the Mighty Smart?"

"Shut up and watch the sunset, Jox."

A slight pause.

"Joxer the Magnificently Brilliant?"

"Shut up and kiss me already."

Cupid smiled as Joxer leaned down and granted Rochelle's request. Hey, what good's being the God of Love, he thought, if you can't set up a happy ending. He shimmered away, his presence hidden by the final rays of Apollo's sunset, humming happily.

Part 1

"Did you see that?" Rochelle asked Joxer. She was contentedly lying in his arms, watching the sun slip below the horizon.

Joxer shook his head, gently running his fingers through her ebony curls. "Uh-uh," he said. Then he kissed her hair.

She smiled, and snuggled closer. "MMmmm," she murmured. "This is so nice," she said.

"Yeah," he sighed, watching the last bits of scarlet fade into the deepening sky. "I wish we could stay here forever."

"It's almost night," Ro observed.

"Yeah," Joxer agreed. Then he sat straight up, as Ro quickly turned in his arms to face him.

"It's almost NIGHT!?" they exclaimed.

"We gotta go," she said, bouncing to her feet. "I still have to get dressed..."

"I gotta tune the lute," he said, brushing leaves off the back of his trousers. He looked at Rochelle, groaned, then pulled her close and kissed her again.

"Jox!" she giggled into his kisses. "We gotta go!"

"Yeah," he mumbled, his lips still attached to hers. "We gotta go..."

"Jox--ER!" she cried, as she pulled away, and grabbing his hand, dragged him back to the village.

"Where were you two?" Miko cried, as his wayward minstrels barreled through the back door. "I though you two left me--"

"Oh, Miko," Ro said, laying a hand against the old tavernkeep's cheek, "I would NEVER do that to you---Joxer was thinking about it, though."

"HEY!" Joxer said, "I was NOT!"

Miko pushed Ro up the stairs. "Get dressed, little girl," he growled affectionately. "You're in for a huge crowd tonight. And YOU," he said to Joxer, pushing the lute into his hands, "get out there and keep those drunks calm-- or I'll take the cost of the broken tables out of your pay!"

Joxer shook his head, grinning, as he went to follow Miko's instructions.

Gabrielle wasn't one to frequent taverns alone---there was usually somebody there who just couldn't keep his hands to himself, and then Xena would have to rescue her. But her curiosity got the better of her, and she didn't want Xena to know what she was doing quite yet. From what she had heard in the taproom during the day, Joxer and Rochelle were quite a good duo. They fact that they filled the room every night they had appeared attested to that. Gabrielle sat at the bar, sipping her tankard of mead, when Joxer came into the room.

He looked--good. For the first time, Gabrielle allowed herself to admit that under the right circumstances, Joxer could actually be quite handsome. Devestatingly so.

This was one of those circumstances.

He was smiling brightly, and his hair was mussed, but enough to look nice, not messy. His shirt was slightly open at the neck, and there was an energy radiating from him, that took Gabrielle's breath away. He sat on a stool next to the fireplace, and slowly strummed his lute, seemingly absently, but Gabrielle could swear she heard pieces of several tunes she knew. The room quieted slightly, almost as if they knew that this wasn't the main performance--but they gladly listened to the preview for the evening's entertainment. He stopped for a moment, then began to play a tune that seemed VERY familiar to her ears. She slowly made her way across the room, to Joxer's side.

He looked up, and when he saw who stood beside him, he smiled. "Hi, Gabby," he said, still playing.

She smiled at him. "Hi, Joxer," she said. "How are you?"

Joxer's brow furrowed slightly. When does Gabrielle care how I am? he wondered silently. "Uh--I'm fine," he said, continuing to play.

"What's that you're playing?" she asked.

Joxer smiled. "It's the music to a prayer of thanksgiving," he said. "To Cupid," he added.

"CUPID!?" Gabrielle asked in astonishment. "I thought you wouldn't have ANYthing to be thankful to Cupid for!"

Joxer grinned. "Yeah, well--that was before tonight," he said. "When I realized something really important."

"What?" Gabrielle asked.

"That I was in love," he said. "And more importantly, she loves me back."

Gabrielle wanted to scream--then she stopped. She was feeling kind of lightheaded and strange--could it be? Could she be in love with Joxer for REAL this time? Was he talking about her?

Just then Joxer's head snapped up, and a broad smile lit on his face. Rochelle glided down the stairs, her long hair completely loose around her face and down her shoulders. She was wearing the long green skirt, and her white shirt was neat and clean, the cuffs tied around her wrists with green ribbon. Her hair covered her right eye. As she brought her hand back to brush it away from her face, Joxer was mesmerized. Every time he thought she couldn't get more beautiful, that he couldn't want her more, she surprised him. She smiled as he watched her approach him.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi," he said.

Gabrielle felt very uncomfortable. She recognized that look in Joxer's eyes. She been the recipient of it, (in secret he had thought, she knew) for a long time. Gabrielle was beside herself as she realized that Joxer was looking at this--Rochelle--with that look. HER look.

"You look amazing," Joxer said to Rochelle. Then he smirked rakishly. "Of course, you ALWAYS look amazing, I just couldn't tell you before."

"Why ever NOT?" she asked seductively, and they both laughed.

Gabrielle wanted to be anywhere in the known world, but here watching Joxer flirt with somebody else.

"Ro," Joxer was saying, "I want you to meet a--friend--of mine. Gabby, this is Rochelle. Ro, this is Gabrielle."

Ro's eyebrow went up at Joxer's hesitation at announcing Gabrielle as 'friend'--from everything he had told her, rightfully so. But she smiled and held out her hand anyway. "We've met--sort of--this afternoon..."

"Oh--that's right," Gabrielle said. "You were in the room when I first came in." Ro nodded.

Then there was that awkward silence that fell when two new rivals sized each other up.

Joxer looked first at Gabrielle then at Ro. He wanted to scream. The last thing he wanted was for the two of them to hate each other. He finished playing, and then stood. "Uh, Ro, I forgot---I forgot how that one part of 'Oedipus' goes," he stammered. "Could you show me--"

"Sure, Jox," she said brightly, glad for the reprieve. She reached for the lute.

"Uh--could we do this in PRIVATE?" he asked. "I kind of LIKE have a rep of being good at SOMETHING."

Ro laughed. "Sure," she said, laying a hand on his arm. "Whatever." She turned to Gabrielle. "You WILL excuse us?" she asked archly, daring Gabrielle to say 'no'.

"Ah--of course," Gabrielle replied, and moved slightly to avoid being smacked in the face by a mass of dark curls.

"Jox, what was all THAT about?" Ro asked. They were by the stairwell leading up to the inn portion of the tavern. "YOU taught me 'Oedipus', you--MMPHF!"

Joxer enjoyed being able to kiss her. Tricking her into it made it even better. "You talk too much, y'know that?" he said after he managed to drag himself away from her. Then, because he couldn't help himself, he kissed her a few more times...just to make sure he remembered how she felt.

"You are im-poss-i-ble," she said in between kisses. "We have to go to--"

"Not before you promise me you won't rip Gabrielle into little tiny pieces," he said firmly.

"I DON'T like her, Joxer," Ro said. "She gets up my nose."

"She's my friend, Ro..."

"Barely."

"Ro-CHELLE," Joxer replied ominously.

She growled. "You DO realize you're asking me to give up my entertainment for the evening," she said sourly.

Joxer gave her a seductive grin. "Oh, sweet lady," he purred in her ear, "trust me, I got your entertainment right here...an' plenty of it, too!"

They both giggled as Joxer left a lingering kiss on her cheek. She held him tighter, and he rested his cheek against her curly hair.

"I could kiss you all day long," he sighed.

She smiled. "What a wonderful idea," she mused. "Starting now?" she asked hopefully.

He laughed. "Um--I think we should finish WORKING, before we have fun, don't you?"

"Spoilsport," she muttered. She turned towards the crowded room, and he followed close behind.

The first half of the evening was over, and Joxer and Rochelle took many bows before they excused themselves to the bar.

"Hey, Miko!" one tavern goer hollered, "How much you going to pay to KEEP these two here?"

"Miko, if you don't pay them, Itolrius will try to hire them away!!"

"How much for just the girl!?"

"Bite your TONGUE! Keep Joxer, Miko!"

Joxer laughed at the last comment. "Sorry, friends," he said, "we're a matched set. Besides," he said, stealing a glance at his partner, "it's HER lute!"

The room burst into uproarious chortling, as the pair made their way out the door.

The whole room, save one.

Gabrielle was sitting at a table in the back of the tavern, miserable as miserable could be. How? How could she have MISSED how wonderful Joxer could be? And WHY did she figure it out, as always, too LATE? Now, he was struck on that oversized cow of a girl. And what kind of name was 'Rochelle', anyway? She probably made it up, Gabrielle thought to herself. It's probably something so UGLY, she couldn't stand it--like--Like AGNES, or...or...Medusa, or--

"Hi, Gabrielle." Xena slid in next to her friend. The dark haired warrior had watched Gabrielle most of the night...and was torn between laughing out loud at the look of horror on her face, and feeling very sorry for her dear friend, realizing for the first time she cared for someone, and that someone didn't care back, anymore. "Wanna talk about it?"

Gabrielle started to say 'no', then sighed. "What's so great about HER?" Gabrielle sat up straighter. "I mean, she's just a minstrel..."

"A very good minstrel," Xena amended.

"And she's not all THAT pretty," Gabrielle added.

"Joxer seems to think so," Xena said again in her quiet voice. She decided the best way to handle this was just to drive straight to the point, and avoid the countless comparisions. "That's what this all about, isn't it, Gabrielle?"

Gabrielle opened her mouth to disagree, then closed it again. Xena was usually right, especially when it came to things about her heart. "I really blew it, didn't I, Xena?" the bard asked, her eyes filling with tears as she looked up.

Xena gave her a small smile, then slowly nodded her head.

Gabrielle nodded back, then sniffed, then let the tears slip down her cheeks.

Joxer and Rochelle were sitting in 'their' spot, the doorstep of the cloth shop across the way from the tavern. Joxer was leaned back, against Ro. She had her arms around his shoulders, and was absently playing with his hair.

"Nice night," she said.

"Hm-HMmm," he agreed, then brough her hand to his lips.

She sighed. "All that time we wasted," she muttered.

"No," Joxer said. He turned enough to see her face. "You're still my best friend...the time it took to make that happen--that's never going to be a waste to me," he declared.

She smiled. "You're right...it must be nice, being right all the time, lately."

Joxer leaned back. "Yeah," he said. "Yeah, it is."

She giggled, and pulled him closer to her. "Well, don't get used to it, Helmet-boy," she teased. "You still have to learn those kicks tomorrow."

"Oh, yes, revered teacher," he intoned, bowing slightly.

"Revered teacher!?" She smacked his arm. "You make me sound like a old crone."

"Well," he said, turning around, "allow me to remedy THAT right now." He moved up enough to start planting kisses on her lips.

"You're incorrigible," she whispered between kisses.

"Isn't that why you love me so much?"

Gabrielle stood at the doorway of the tevern, watching the two of them kiss. Her head was spinning, and her chest felt very tight. She turned back to the crowded room, walked through, and headed up to her room. She cried herself to sleep for the first time in a very long time.

The moon was bright in the courtyard as Joxer walked towards the ancient oak tree at its center. So much had happened to him in the shadow of this tree--he had changed, for the better, he hoped. He had learned to stand on his own merits for the first time, and not to be ashamed of his gods-given talents. He had killed a man, and now he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he wasn't cut out for the 'family' business. That death still haunted him, and would probably haunt him for the rest of his life.

And--he had fallen in love. He had found a friend first--then, he fell in love. He had learned to trust someone totally. He learned that there was someone who would be there to protect him, to care for him--and he wanted to do the same for her. Joxer smiled as the gentle night breeze caused a rustle behind the trunk of the tree.

"Hi," he said quietly, watching the wind slowly brush the wealth of her hair away from her face.

"Hi," she said, stepping out from behind the tree. So much had changed-- just today, Rochelle thought to herself. He loved her-- he had told her he loved her, and it set a different melody in her heart-- one that threatened to burst from her chest. She smiled at him, holding the collar of her shirt in one hand.

Her hair was loose and flowing, and the moonlight leached all the auburn highlights out of it, leaving it ebony in the silver light. She still had her 'working' clothes on--her long skirt an indeterminate color in the moonlight, her white shirt glowing. Her bare toes peeped out from the hem. Joxer had never seen her look lovlier.

He closed the distance between them. She smiled shyly as he took her face in his hands. She stared into his midnight eyes, and let her hands rest on his lightly.

He smiled. "You are so beautiful," he whispered, as he kissed her gently.

She smiled under his kiss. When he pulled away, she said, "You're wonderful, did you know that?"

He chuckled. "Not 'til I met you, I didn't."

Rochelle smiled mysteriously. "I bet you're beat," she said.

Joxer nodded. "Nothing a good night's sleep can't fix," he said, stretching.

"How about a hot bath? Would that fix it?"

Joxer raised his eyebrows. "Excuse me?" he sqeaked.

"Well," Ro said nonchalantly, "you said you wanted to relax."

"Yeah," Joxer said quizzically. He regarded Rochelle for a moment. He looked at her serene face--she always had that serene look on her face. Then, he looked at the curls by her shoulder. They were bouncing. She was trembling. And he smiled. "You sure?" he asked shrewdly. He was glad that she was scared too--it made him feel better.

She looked down at her feet, then back up at him, a wry grin on her face. Then she grabbed his hand. "Come on," she said, dragging him towards the bath house, "before I lose my nerve."

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