Rating: Barely PG, could probably pass for G
Violence: Humorous, perhaps.
Sex: Is kissing still considered a part of this?
Author's Note: As always, thanks Chris - and this time, thanks go to Phil, too. You guys really helped me iron out the wrinkles.

Xena looked over her shoulder to make sure Gabrielle was still behind her. The crowd was incredible, mostly girls under the age of 18, although there were some men and older women there as well. She had had to call in a couple of favors to get tickets for them both - this Corinth show had been sold out for months. At least they had good seats - the people who owed her were not without influence.

"C'mon," she grabbed the bard by the wrist, "I think our seats are over here." She climbed over several sets of legs, finally locating the spot that was indicated on the ticket scroll. "Want a drink or something?" she asked her companion, glancing at the vendor's stalls beyond the top row of seats. It seemed you could buy sketches of the artist and autographed music scrolls, as well as food and beverages. Gabrielle just shook her head, and sunk slowly into the seat. Xena sat down beside her. She understood her friend's speechlessness. This was a little overwhelming. This theatre held three hundred at capacity, and it appeared to be well beyond that. It seems people had come from all the surrounding territory for this concert - some even traveling days to attend. Xena sniffed - the air certainly smelled funny in here.

The young lady next to Gabrielle looked at her face. "You look surprised! This your first concert?" The bard nodded, still taking it all in. "Well, you're sitting beside the right girl," she proclaimed proudly. "I'm the president of his local fan club!" She held up a scroll with fancy text confirming her claim. "You're really lucky - this is the first tour he's ever done without his backup band - just him and his lute. What a great way to hear him for the first time." The girl stuck out her hand. "I'm Kelli - with an iota. I'll be glad to answer any questions you might have."

Gabrielle watched the stage. Several young men in grubby outfits were setting up large oil lamps, and lighting them. Overhead were mounted shiny metal reflectors that focused the light into a ring in the center of the stage. Soon the lights in the rest of the theatre were put out. The crowd hushed expectantly. Then, a single figure stepped into the ring of light. The crowd erupted. Girls were screaming, and one, three rows in front of Xena and Gabrielle, fainted. The figure reached the center of the lights, and looked up. The bard gasped and reached for Xena's arm. "It is Joxer!"

"Of course it is," Kelli said, breathless.

He certainly looked different. He had let his hair grow, not quite as long as Hercules' hair - more like Iolaus'- and it still hung over his forehead and into his eyes. He was wearing a black silk tunic, belted at the waist and open almost to there, over the tightest leather breeches Gabrielle had ever seen on a man. His boots were black, and he carried an ebony lute. Combined with his pale complexion and body, the entire effect was, well, stunning. He looked better than she could have imagined in her wildest dreams. "Joxer," she breathed, unable to process it all.

"Yeah," sighed Kelli, eyes alight.

He raised the lute, and the crowd hushed again. Then he strummed a few notes, and the fans, recognizing the song, screamed anew. They quickly quieted down, and he began to sing. Gabrielle almost groaned - it was "Joxer the Mighty!" But the lyrics had changed, and referred to the rigors of being a traveling minstrel, the difficulties of life on the road. She never remembered his voice being so rich, so full - except in Illusia, which she always thought had been an imaginary Joxer, not the real one. When he finished, the crowd worked itself up into another lather. Some of these girls won't be able to talk tomorrow, Gabrielle thought. Judging from the ringing in her one ear, Kelli would be among them. The bard looked over at her best friend. She had never seen the Warrior Princess with her mouth agape before. She reached over and gently shut her friend's jaw.

"He always opens with that one," Kelli leaned over and murmured to the bard. "It's his signature song."

It always was, Gabrielle thought, amused.

His next tune was another upbeat one, about Hercules and Iolaus. Then he began a ballad about Cupid and Psyche. Kelli leaned towards her again. "I hate it when he does covers of other people's songs. His own are so much better." There were numerous other songs, each accompanied by Kelli's running commentary. Finally he finished, and Gabrielle found herself vaguely disappointed. She was amazed at how much she had enjoyed his music, and felt pleased that he had finally found something he was good at. He bowed his head, raised his hand to thundering applause, and left the circle of light. The crowd roared. Soon they began stomping their feet, shouting "Joxer! Joxer! Joxer!" Then, tiny lights, like little torches, began appearing all over the place, held up by the chanting people. Soon Joxer reappeared in the light. The crowd screamed and cheered. Kelli leaned over to the bard, hollering at the top of her lungs to be heard. "This is his very best song - he always does it as his encore."

Joxer strummed the introduction as the crowd settled. This song began slowly - another ballad. Then he began to sing - his voice low and filled with emotion. Gabrielle realized it was a love song. With a chill down her spine, she realized it was about her! His hair was wet with sweat, his eyes were half closed, and the expression he was wearing... If had ever looked at me like that while we were on the trail, I'd have slapped him, Gabrielle thought, shocked by the feeling it gave her in the pit of her stomach. Girls in the front rows were throwing flowers on the stage, and as she watched, the bard thought she saw a pair of lacy panties fly through the air. She looked over at Xena, who was smiling sadly. She heard her warrior friend softly say, "So he never got over it."

The song spoke of a love deeper than the ocean, beyond human imagination. A love that had been lost, perhaps never to be seen again. Her name was the chorus, sung sadly and repeatedly. When the song was over, her cheeks were wet. I never knew he felt that way about me, she realized.

Kelli leaned over again. "Yeah, that one always makes me cry, too."

The bard turned to her friend. "Xena, I have to talk to him. We have to go backstage."

Kelli leaned over once more. "You're in luck - as fan club president, I get backstage passes. Two of my girls didn't show tonight, so I have extras. Did she just call you Xena?" the girl asked, looking at the Warrior Princess for the first time. "Are you the same Xena that Joxer sings about?"

The woman shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe. I haven't heard the song." Kelli opened her mouth to tell the warrior woman all about it, but Xena held up her hand and gave her the look. "I'm sure I'd like it better if he sang it for me."

Kelli squealed. "Oooh, this keeps getting better and better."

"Yeah," Xena said dryly, "Lead on."

Leaving Gabrielle to field Kelli's constant chatter, Xena reminisced about the man they were about to see. It was about two years ago that he announced that he had had enough of the warrior life. His skills really weren't improving, and he thought maybe it was time to try another line of work. In private, he confessed to Xena that he felt Gabrielle would never care about him the way he cared about her, so maybe he just needed to leave her alone. When they asked him what he would do, he just shrugged. "Maybe I'll try my hand at the lute again," he offered.

They heard nothing more of him for over a year. Then, reports started filtering back that there was a new singing sensation touring Greece. Everywhere they went there was buzz about Joxer - the teen idol of the day. They finally felt the need to check the whole thing out personally. Xena shook her head in wonder - if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she would not have believed it.

Joxer stood backstage, wiping off his face and neck. He was drained. It had been a good crowd tonight. In return for their enthusiasm, he felt he had done the best rendition of "Gabrielle" he had ever offered. He had almost felt like he was singing it just to her.

"Hey, Joxer," his stage manager hollered, "The fan club girls are here." Oh, great, he thought, I hope this isn't one of those groups who want to tear my shirt off. He plastered on his best welcoming smile, and headed towards the backstage door. He looked up, and the smile slid right off his face, replaced by a look of total shock. "Gabrielle," he gasped.

Kelli looked at the blonde beside her. "You're Gabrielle?" she shrieked. "OHMYGODS!"

Joxer stepped forward, his arms outstretched. Kelli looked at Gabrielle, then at him, and seemed to make her decision. She ran into his arms, throwing herself into his embrace. Joxer appeared completely floored, and Xena was working with all her might to hold in her laughter. He managed to give the rabid fan a perfunctory hug and then disengage himself fairly smoothly. He stepped around her, and over to the two people he never thought he'd see again. He looked into the green eyes of the woman of his dreams, and breathed, "Gabby."

"Joxer," she replied, her voice just as soft. They stood there, just staring at each other, for so long that Xena finally cleared her throat.

Gabrielle shook her head to clear it, and Joxer looked as if someone had just awakened him from a dream. He stared blankly at the Warrior Princess, and then smiled. "Oh, hi, Xena. Jerry," he yelled over his shoulder, "is the food in my dressing room yet?"

His stage manager ran up, checking the scroll in his hands. "Just been delivered, Jox."

"Great. Have them send extra wine," Joxer put his arm around Gabrielle's waist and took Xena's arm. "These are two of my oldest and closest friends. I don't want to be disturbed." The trio swung past Kelli, who tried to casually include herself in the party. A very large man, with "Security" tooled into the front of his leather vest, stepped in front of the young woman, effectively barring her progress.

"I can count, and he said two," the man-mountain told her. She waved her fan club scroll in his face. He was not impressed. "Scram." She whimpered, but he scowled at her, and she turned tail and left.

Conclusion >>>