THE CHILDREN

Neela - girl, 5
Mira - girl, 12
Kira - girl, 8
Andreaus - boy, 13
Mikos - boy, 4
Micah - boy, 8
Tilli - girl, 10
Delia - girl, 6
2 unnamed babies

Rating: G
Violence: Some vague fighting
Sex: Sorry, folks - none

The first thing I need to do is loose the armor, Joxer thought. It'll only scare 'em. He looked around the room at the children, already frightened enough as it was by being suddenly gathered and herded into this cave. He quickly unbuckled his kit and dropped it in an out of the way area, placing his helmet on top, although he decided to keep his scabbard and sword, just in case. He noticed one of the mothers trying fruitlessly to calm her distraught little girl. The child, a little blonde about five years old, was wailing inconsolably, while her mother made a vain attempt to peel her off her leg. "Neela, you have to let me go," the woman begged her. Joxer strode over, and crouched down to meet the little girl at her eye level.

"Hi, Neela, my name's Joxer." He held out his hand, and she stopped crying long enough to look at him and place her tiny hand in his. He smiled, taking it and gently kissing it before looking hopefully in her eyes. Her giggle assured him his instincts had been correct. "Would you like to come see me, while your mother goes back to town to help the other grown-ups there?" She looked up uncertainly at her mother, who nodded in encouragement to her. Then the little girl reached out her other hand, and Joxer picked her up under her arms, settling her comfortably on his hip as he stood. She rested her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her mother smiled in relief.

"Neela doesn't usually take to strangers, but I think she likes you. Thank you." The woman patted her daughter's head, then scurried out of the cave and back towards town. Neela hiccupped once, and seemed to consider bursting into tears again. Joxer reached out and placed his fingertip on her nose and softly said "beep." She smiled, and giggled just a little. Then she sighed, and laid her head back down. As she settled in, he looked around the area, wondering just how he had gotten so lucky. Not only did he love kids, but he was also getting to share in this great assignment with Gabby.

Gabrielle looked distraught. She had never spent much time with children, and consequently had no real clue how to handle them. Now, here she was, under Xena's orders to watch, not one baby, which she could probably deal with, but ten children of varying ages! Not only that, but she had to work with Joxer of all people! At least the two nursing babies were under the care of one of the mothers from the village. Still, she knew this was an important task - the Cyprian invaders had come for slaves, and word was that the children from several nearby villages had already disappeared. Xena and the villagers had arranged to hide this group while they fought off the invaders. Someone had to watch the children; someone who could also defend them if anything went wrong. Gabrielle just wished it were someone besides her. Just then, cold hands ran up her thigh almost to the bottom of her skirt. She yelped, and drew back her hand to slap the offender, but no one was standing near her. She looked down, and noticed a startled little boy, no more than a toddler, drawing back from her. He looked so scared that she felt awful for her reaction. The bard opened her mouth to call to him when a pretty young girl with light brown hair who looked like a teenager knelt down and swept the boy into her arms. "Mikos, that's not your mommy. You surprised the nice lady."

The boy hung his head and then stuck his thumb in his mouth. Gabrielle reached out and ruffled his curly dark hair. "I'm sorry I scared you Mikos. You sort of scared me too. Can we be friends?" His black eyes grew wide, and he nodded, solemnly. He pulled away from the girl and wrapped his arms around Gabrielle's leg. "I wasn't going anywhere right now, anyway," she mumbled under her breath.

"Don't mind Mikos," the young girl said seriously. "You look a lot like his mother. She died in childbirth - that's his little sister over there." She motioned to one of the two babies. "He hasn't talked since then. His aunt is keeping him while his father works the fields, and the baby stays with Jaleel over there, who's her wet-nurse now. Her son was born about a week before, so she was the logical choice." The girl smiled, and for the first time, Gabrielle realized just how young she really was. Although she spoke almost like an adult, she couldn't be more than twelve or so. "By the way, I'm Mira." She pointed to a younger girl who looked like a smaller version of herself. "That's my little sister, Kira. Our mom died a couple of years ago, too, so I'm used to helping with the younger ones." Gabrielle smiled - the girl would probably be a lot of assistance in all this. Thank the gods! She couldn't help but wonder if Joxer would be any help at all. He was so often like a child himself, innocent to the point of annoying. She figured his natural ineptitude would surface here, as it did frequently in other endeavors. She scanned the cave, looking for him and the trouble he naturally courted.

Gabrielle caught sight of the would-be warrior, and drew in her breath. He had shed down to his tunic and pants, and was holding a little girl in his arms, looking as natural and comfortable as she had ever seen him. The child was looking him in the face and speaking earnestly while he listened carefully to every word she said, nodding solemnly. Then the child said something and smiled, and his whole face lit up as hers did. He bent his head and kissed the little girl on the forehead, and Gabrielle's heart did a little flip. He looked so - it was a word she didn't associate with Joxer much - happy. She thought about it - he looked worried a lot, sad sometimes, stupid fairly frequently, but rarely truly, deeply happy. He wore it well. Maybe this day wouldn't be as difficult as she originally feared.

Joxer stared into Neela's deep brown eyes, which were framed in the thickest lashes he had ever seen. She had just explained how she thought he was special, and it had lifted his heart. When he kissed her small forehead, he couldn't help but think of how much he wished he had a child of his own. He had already realized that Neela's coloring was a perfect blend of his and Gabby's. The beautiful blonde hair and the deep brown eyes - would their child look like this? He stroked the little girl's silken hair, lost in his imaginations. Then he shook his head, and sternly reigned in his thoughts. The closest he would ever be to fatherhood was his brief experience with Meg and Punkin'.

He had been in one of his "life is hopeless, Gabby will never care" moods, and had decided to try to build a real relationship with Meg. Of course, it didn't work. He found he just couldn't wrestle his heart free of the bard's unwitting grip on it. It still embarrassed him that he had told Autolycus that Meg was his girl. But during that time, when Meg had kidnapped the baby and offered him the chance to act as its father, he had decided that maybe the baby could make up for the lack of romantic love that he felt. He could love a baby - he really did love Punkin'. His thoughts wandered down that particular side path for a moment. Cleodes and Gryphia still treated him like family. He had a place to stay anytime he was in the area, and he knew they felt the same about Meg.

But that one taste of fatherhood made him long even more for the real thing. For one thing, children really seemed to like him - maybe because he always found the time and enthusiasm for whatever they were interested in. Most grownups were always too busy with their own affairs to get too involved in the lives of children. And for another, fatherhood would mean a permanent relationship, and a permanent relationship, at least in his mind, could only mean him and Gabby.

He jumped when her voice sounded in his ear. "Hey, Joxer, how'd you get so good at this?" She was standing beside him, holding a small dark haired boy with his thumb in his mouth awkwardly in her arms. Giving up on finding a good position for the child, she put him down, where he promptly latched onto her leg. Lucky kid, Joxer thought briefly. Following his gaze, she introduced him to the boy. "This is Mikos - apparently I look like his late mu-omega-mu," Gabrielle spelled. She figured there was no need to keep reminding the boy. "Who's your little friend?"

"Oh," Joxer replied, unconsciously stroking the child's hair again, "This is Neela."

"She's asleep," Gabrielle observed.

He looked down. Apparently her hysterics before her mother's exit, combined with the fear and rapid flight from her home earlier in the day had taken its toll. Her little eyes were closed and her breathing was deep and even. Her arms were still wrapped around Joxer's neck, but he carefully disentangled them and laid her down on a pelt in a quieter part of the cave near the woman tending the babies. Covering her gently, he brushed the hair from her eyes and rose. When he turned back to Gabby, she had the oddest look on her face...

Gabrielle felt as though she had just seen this foolish, clumsy man in a whole new light. He was so caring, so tender and gentle. She wondered if any other man could so enchant a little girl, and then comfort her to sleep in the midst of all this noise and chaos. With relatively few exceptions, most men she had known, even Perdicas, thought children were women's work, to be seen but not dealt with until they were old enough to be of some practical use. Although she had been told the story of the baby who was really a king, she never bothered to stretch her imagination to see Joxer as a father of any sort. Not until now, anyway. It was an image that startled her with its grace and charm - words she had never associated with him in any way. But the mental picture of Joxer with a baby in his arms was so appealing it frightened her. She saw him staring at her, perplexed. She mentally shook herself, and moved over to the wall, sinking down to the floor and pulling Mikos onto her lap. She patted the ground, and Joxer folded his long legs and sank down beside her. "So," she tried again, "You never answered my question. How did you get so good at this?"

"Who's she?" he asked, seemingly ignoring her again. He motioned towards Mira, who had all the little ones gathered around her and was telling them a story. Gabrielle shared what she knew. He was quiet a minute. "That was me," he finally said. "My dad's army was full of guys with families, and as the warlord's wife, my mother felt it was her job to entertain them while the men were away. She and the other women would have tea, or work on tapestries, and all the kids were supposed to stay out of the way. Jett and the other guys would usually sneak away, leaving me as the only one who was old enough to be responsible for the little kids. I got good at it because I had to." Pausing for a moment, he glanced over and saw that Mira was beginning to lose her audience. He poked Gabrielle, who started to snarl at him before she saw and shared his concern. "Why don't you go tell them a story, Gabby? They've probably never heard any of yours."

She struggled to her feet with Mikos in her arms. Joxer reached over and arranged the child on her hip, which was the first comfortable position she'd tried for carrying him. She strode over to the harried adolescent, taking her place before the group and diving right into the story about Pandora, King Gregor and the baby. Joxer smiled - she was in her element, now. Mira was as absorbed as any of the younger kids. Then he saw an unfamiliar face wearing a very familiar look.

The boy was about Mira's age, tall and gangly with bright red hair and freckles everywhere. His clothes hung on him like sacks because he was so thin. He was looking at the girl Mira, who was caught up in Gabrielle's story, with undisguised worship. Joxer remembered being this age - none of his limbs seemed to work together, and his voice wandered from soprano to baritone within a single sentence. And he, too, had been head over heels with a girl in town. After Jett killed her brother, though, the whole family moved away, and he never saw her again. A rush of empathy poured through the man's soul. Moving beside the boy, Joxer took his arm and pulled him aside. "I could use a helper," he began, "and you look like the oldest and most responsible one here." This truly wasn't a lie - all of the older adolescents had been recruited to help in the town's defense. "I'd like you take care of the younger kids. I know Mira is helping Gabrielle with that as well, but I'd feel better if there were a man watching over them, too." Joxer hoped he hadn't laid it on too thick - he didn't want the young fellow to be offended. "What's your name?"

The boy answered, in a voice too deep to suit his appearance, "Andreaus."

"Pleased to meet you, Andreaus," Joxer replied, and put out his hand. The boy took his arm hesitantly, warming up to the greeting after a second and then shaking heartily. "So, are you willing to help?" The boy nodded eagerly, showing in his enthusiasm the child behind the body in transition. "Then just stay close to Mira and Gabrielle, and do what they need you to do." He noted that Gabrielle's story was about to the end, and figured a change of pace was in order. "Right now, I need you to go get me two pieces of flat bread out of my bag, and grab the water skin as well."

He stepped behind Gabby, and led the children in a round of applause. Then, as Andreaus brought him the food, he announced, "snack time." With Gabrielle and Mira's help, he broke the bread and handed pieces to all the children, passing around the water skin afterwards. When they were all happily satisfied, he sat in front of the group, and began to sing. He enjoyed recalling all the children's songs he could think of, watching for signs that the activity was becoming tedious. He even allowed little Delia, one of the youngest ones, to teach them all a song she had learned from her cousin in Thrace. After that he began to switch to more soothing tunes. Finally he noticed some eyes growing heavy, and a quick glance behind him confirmed that Mikos had already fallen asleep on the bard's lap. He assigned Mira to her sister, Andreaus to young Micah and Tilli to Delia, telling the older ones to make sure the young ones rested. Micah argued that he wasn't a young one, but lost the battle when a yawn interrupted his speech. Soon it was very quiet in the cave.

Gabrielle had no idea what Joxer had planned after the snack, which in and of itself was something she would never have thought about. He obviously had a lot of experience with this type activity, and she was eager to see his next move. When he began singing in his rich baritone, she all but gasped. Since the only song she ever heard from him was "Joxer the Mighty," she normally tuned him out. She had forgotten what a pleasant singing voice he actually possessed. She looked down at the sleeping child on her lap. She wondered sadly what it would be like to mother a normal child, to watch it grow and to love it to maturity. To sing to it, play with it, share the love and care with a husband who... Her thoughts faded as she realized that she was staring at Joxer during this last part. And she didn't want to even go near there right now. She watched as he assigned each small child to an older one, except of course Neela and Mikos. He walked over to sit beside the little girl he so obviously felt to be his own responsibility. He truly was in his element here - taking charge and never once carrying on about his own importance in the whole matter. The bard wondered if Xena had known about this side of the would-be warrior when she gave them this job.

Joxer watched Neela as she slept. He knew that she had been down longer than the others and should be waking soon. As if she heard his thoughts, the tiny brown eyes fluttered open, and she looked around. "Joxer?" she said in a sleepy little voice.

"Shhh, Neela, the other children are sleeping now, too." He looked at the older ones, playing rock, parchment, dagger quietly in the corner. "Do you want to go over and play with them, or stay with me?" He rose as he spoke, and she answered by standing and placing her little hand in his. They walked back over to where Mikos and Gabby sat, and Joxer once again sat down beside the bard. Neela let him settle in, then climbed into his lap and laid her head on his chest, still not completely awake. He addressed Gabrielle softly. "How long do you think we'll be here? We don't have enormous amounts of food, y'know." He smiled a little at how she protectively stroked the little boy sleeping on her lap.

"Until we're sure they're safe," the woman said, intensely. Suddenly, she knew that protecting this little child she was holding, as well as all the rest, was as important to her as her own life. It began as an assignment, but it was growing into a passion. She looked at the wall beside her, where her staff rested. She would protect these kids, she vowed.

"He really doesn't talk at all?" Joxer asked. "He's at that age when most kids like nothing better than the sound of their own voice."

"No, he hasn't said a word since we've been here," Gabrielle replied. "Mira says he hasn't spoken since his mother died." Mikos stirred, and moaned a little. His eyes opened, and Gabrielle saw fear in them. Then he caught sight of her face, and smiled.

Gabrielle's heart felt lighter than air. As the little boy sat up, she reached out and pulled him into her arms, kissing him atop his head. Joxer reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder, his eyes shining. A deep, raspy voice interrupted their reverie. "What a touching little family scene. Now give me those kids!" Gabrielle jumped to her feet and pushed Mikos towards the older children, who had looked up when the soldier's voice sounded throughout the cave, and were rushing to wake the others. Joxer propelled Neela in the same direction, while at the same time quickly drawing his sword. Gabrielle snatched up her staff, looking defiantly into the eyes of their challenger.

"You can't have them," Joxer growled, sounding for all the world like his brother, Jett. He could see the children gathered around Jaleel, who was clutching the babies. Andreaus stood protectively in front of the group, with Mira beside him. Both held large rocks and wore fearful looks. Joxer prayed they wouldn't have to come to the point of defending themselves. The soldier appeared to be alone, but he knew that was just a temporary reprieve. "Just go away, and you won't get hurt." For once, this was not bravado speaking. He would give everything he could to defend these children.

The soldier laughed evilly, unsheathing his sword and swinging it at Joxer in a single motion. He had miscalculated the danger of the small woman with the staff, however. She swung it up to block his blade, then quickly came up with the other end between his legs. The man's eyes grew wide, and he doubled over in pain. Joxer and the bard shared sardonic grins before the sound of other soldiers approaching redirected their attention. Gabrielle brought her staff down quickly on the back of the first man's head, removing him from the action for a while. Then the two moved towards the narrow opening.

The first two or three attackers were easy to take by surprise, since they were expecting no competition. The rest were more cautious after seeing their compatriots easily knocked out by the combination of wicked staff swings and the flat of Joxer's blade. As the fight grew more intense, Joxer found himself beginning to act out of sheer instinct, the passion and desire he felt to protect the children compensating for his lack of expertise. He and Gabrielle had taken out all but two of the remaining soldiers when he managed to knock his own opponent over near the children. He observed Mira and Andreaus putting their rocks to work, and that threat was removed. Turning, he was just in time to see Gabrielle's staff struck aside, and the man she was fighting get a good swing at her head. Fortunately, his aim was off, and he struck her with his fist rather than his blade. Still, she dropped like a rock. The warrior raised his sword overhead, preparing to drop it into her chest. When Joxer tackled him from the side, the point came down into her calf, instead, grazing it.

Joxer was so angry, he hadn't realized how many times he had punched the man beneath him until he heard the voice of the Warrior Princess behind him. "Joxer, stop. He's not going anywhere for a while, now. Where's Gabrielle?" He got up slowly, and pointed to the bard's still figure, with Mikos huddled over it. Her leg was bleeding, and she had a large bruise on her left temple. Xena hurried to her side and began assessing the damage, trying to work around the crying little boy as much as she could. Neela ran over to Joxer, throwing herself into his embrace and wrapping her arms around his neck as he lifted her. He carried her over to where Mikos huddled, and kneeling down, pulled the boy to him as well, putting his arm around the small waist. They all clung together, their eyes glued on the scene as the tall woman worked on the smaller one. Gabrielle blinked, focusing finally on the three sets of dark eyes, all studying her anxiously. These are people I love, and who love me, she thought foggily, a handsome man, beautiful children, my family? Then she drifted back to the blackness.

"She'll be okay, once her head clears. The leg shows more blood than real damage. I just need to get that cleaned up, and maybe a cold compress for her head, and she should be alright." She saw how earnestly Joxer's small charges were clinging to him, and decided he would do the most good right where he was. "I'll ask Jaleel to go get what I need."

Joxer shook his head. "No, the babies need her." He called out, "Mira, Andreaus, come here." They both hurried immediately over. "Xena here needs equipment to clean Gabby's wound, and a cold compress for her head. Can you two handle that?" The young people nodded seriously, and set out together, Andreaus taking Mira's arm as they left. Xena found herself impressed by Joxer's commanding presence in the situation. From the looks of things, the entire group in the cave seemed to consider him their leader.

The adolescents returned, and Xena did what she could for her friend. Now all they could do was wait. Singly and in pairs, the parents of the children came to claim their own, but none of the young people would leave until they were sure Gabrielle was all right. They all gathered behind Joxer, watching for signs of recovery. The parents milled nervously about, afraid they might be there all night. Mira and Kira's father had already tried unsuccessfully to convince his girls to leave, but after the scene they threw, none of the other parents really wanted to deal with a similar display. So they waited.

Although it seemed like days, it wasn't very long before the bard opened her eyes. She saw Xena first, who smiled and pointed. Looking over, she saw Joxer and the children, all with anxiety on their faces. Then, little Mikos pulled away from the tall man and threw himself in the bard's arms. He kissed her face as she began to giggle. Then she became quiet and held up her hand to the others. "What?" she whispered.

The boy looked in her eyes. "Gabwelle," he said, and laid his head blissfully on her shoulder. Her body shook again, but this time not with laughter. She had rarely understood being so happy you could cry. She did now.

Later, after the families had all left and just the three heroes remained, Xena studied her two friends. Joxer seemed to glow with confidence and contentment, as if he had found his purpose in the day's work. Gabrielle had had difficulty parting with little Mikos earlier, but seemed to be happier now. Xena was looking forward to hearing the story of their experience, especially considering the looks she was seeing the bard giving the would-be warrior. Maybe I should ask. Placing her hand on the blonde woman's shoulder, Xena drew her aside. "You okay? You seem a bit distracted."

"You know," Gabrielle replied, giving the oblivious Joxer another long gaze, "before you got here, I had the strangest dream..." And she smiled and wrapped her arms around herself, as if she were holding something precious close to her heart.

Please take the time to write to Lori at lwbush@charter.net and let her know how you liked the story!

COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER:
Xena: Warrior Princess, Xena, Gabrielle, Joxer, and all other characters who have appeared in the series, together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of StudiosUSA and Renaissance Pictures. No infringement of copyrights or trademarks is intended in the writing of this fan fiction. The whole passel of kids was created by Lori for use in this fiction. This story is copyright © 1999 by Lori Bush and is her sole property along with the story idea. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Copies of this story may be made for private use only and must include all disclaimers and copyright notices.