Rated: R
Warning: This story of my Parole Series is dark and there are two deaths, but not of the major characters
Author's Notes: This series takes place in an alternative Season Five timeline. Therefore, Xena and Gabrielle never died and came back. Xena never had Eve, and the horse that Gabrielle's riding is a rented horse.

Jace stared into the mirror for a long time, his thoughts dark. Three months... Three months since that murdering brother of mine was set free... he thought to himself angrily. You will pay dearly for what you did to my lover... He reached out and swept his arm across his dressing room table, not noticing the many makeup pots crashing to the floor, spilling their contents all over the place. "I will revenge you, my love. I swear," he vowed.

He did not turn around as he heard someone walk inside his dressing room. "Well, can you do it or not?" he rasped.

The man standing behind him in the shadows grinned evilly. "I can."

"Good. Then do it. Do it right, and I will reward you handsomely," Jace snarled.

The man nodded his head and left. Another man walked in and turned Jace's chair around so that he would face him. "Jace, love. Please don't do this," he pleaded softly.

Jace got up and glared at his lover. "I will have my revenge, Alto. Don't get in my way!"

"If you go though with this, you're no better than your brother!" Alto cried out.

"You don't understand, Alto. Leave me!" Jace commanded, pushing him away.

Alto left him, shaking his head, a tear running down his cheek.

"Oh come on, Jett! Teach me," Joxer pleaded.

"Joxer, I said NO! Now leave me alone!" Jett replied angrily.

"But if you teach me, I can fight better," Joxer begged.

"I don't want to! Besides, you don't have the killer instinct lurking inside your body - and I don't want you to learn it from me. Now, drop it! Come on, we've got to get this firewood back to Xena before she comes looking for us." Jett picked up his load of firewood and headed back to camp. Joxer sighed, rolled his eyes, picked up his load and followed his brother.

"It's about time, you two. I was beginning to think I'd have to come looking for you," Xena's eyebrow rose as the brothers strode into camp and dumped the wood onto the ground in a pile with a loud *clunk*.

"No Xena, I'm here. I promised not to run away, and I won't," Jett said.

"Good, because Gabrielle and I are going to town to get supplies and I'm trusting you two to stay here and out of trouble," Xena replied.

Joxer looked at Xena. "Why can't I go to town? I'm bored too," he grumbled.

Gabrielle smiled and playfully hit him in the stomach. He winced and rubbed it, trying to make the pain go away. "Someone's got to watch Jett."

"Yeah, but why me?" asked the wannabe warrior.

"Because I said so, and don't whine, Joxer," replied the Warrior Princess. She then mounted Argo and rode off, calling back to Gabrielle, "Come on, Gabrielle! The market closes at midday!"

Gabrielle smiled at the brothers. "Hey, you two. Behave yourselves!"

Joxer and Jett just stared at her as she winked at them, mounted her horse and galloped off to catch up with Xena, waving goodbye to them. Joxer then turned to Jett. "Now what?" he asked. He began to stack the firewood in a neat pile.

"I don't know about you, but I'm going to town," Jett replied quickly, starting to walk in the same direction the women headed just a minute before.

Joxer nodded his head until he realized what Jett said. He ran after him and grabbed Jett's arm. "Hey, wait a minute! You can't go to town!"

Jett looked at him scornfully. "And who's going to stop me? You?!" he snickered.

Joxer stood in front of Jett, blocking his way. "If I have to, I will," he said in a steady voice. He raised his fists to emphasize his words.

Jett shook his head, amazed that his little brother was actually standing up to him. "You would, too, wouldn't you?" he asked softly.

Joxer nodded his head. "Yes, I will. Jett, you're not getting by me. Xena trusts me, and I'll never disappoint her."

Jett shook his head and turned away from Joxer. "Okay Jox, you win. I'll stay put."

Joxer lowered his fists, placed his hand on Jett's shoulder and smiled, visibly relaxing. "Thanks, Jett." The two walked over to the woodpile and began stacking the wood again.

"You're welcome, Jox." Suddenly Jett turned and hit Joxer on the forehead with a piece of firewood, knocking him out cold. He caught Joxer in his arms before he tumbled to the ground, unconscious. "I'm really sorry, Jox, but I can't stand being cooped up like this any more. I need to go to town."

He dragged Joxer over into the bushes. "You'll be safe here. I promise I'll be back before Xena and Blondie are so they won't yell at you," Jett whispered. He checked over Joxer to make sure that he didn't hurt him badly and left him lying there, not making a sound as he walked away.

A man dressed in black leather, his face completely hidden underneath a cloth with the exception of his eyes so that he could see, stealthily entered a farmyard. The farmer and his wife were working in the fields. The farmer straightened up to stretch his tired muscles and saw the masked intruder approaching them. "Who are you and what do you want?!" he demanded. The man said nothing but threw his dagger at the farmer where it landed right in the middle of his chest. The farmer stared down at the dagger sticking from his chest and gasped, "Why?" as he fell to the ground, dead.

The man walked over to the body and pulled out his dagger, wiping the blood away with a cloth he pulled from his pants pocket. Then, he turned to the hysterical woman and grinned evilly, his even white teeth flashing in the sunlight. "Woman, tell everyone that Jett, King of Assassins, killed your husband," he snarled.

The woman fell to her knees and held her dead husband in her arms. "Why?! Why did you do this?!" she cried. "We are just poor farmers. We mean nothing to you!"

The man grabbed her and pulled her to her feet by the hair, clutching the dagger at her throat. "Do as I say woman, or you're dead too," he said in a raspy voice. He threw her to the ground and ran off. His mad laughter echoed in the air as she half ran, half stumbled away from him, screaming. She finally made it into town, gasping for breath as she threw herself before the first villager she saw. "Help me! Please help me! The King of Assassins killed my husband!"

Xena stopped dead in her tracks at the woman's words and looked at Gabrielle, who stared in astonishment as they watched the villagers run towards the woman. Xena turned to Gabrielle. "Go back to Joxer and Jett and make sure that everything's okay. I'll find out what's going on."

Gabrielle nodded her head and took off, spurring her horse into a full-speed gallop. Xena approached the group of people. The woman was crying. "He just killed my poor Cyrus. We did nothing to him," she said over and over.

One of the men held the crying woman in his arms. "He'll pay for this, Audora. Don't worry," he said, trying to comfort her.

Another man yelled, "We'll find that monster and chop his rotten, stinking head off!" Other villagers took up the cry. "Yeah! Yeah! Chop his head off! Nobody kills Cyrus, the most gentle and beloved man in our village and gets away with it!"

Xena stepped forward and held her hands out before her. "Please, everyone! Calm down! I know the man that you're talking about, and this isn't his style! He only kills men he's been hired to kill."

The man who started the riot turned to Xena. "Don't you dare try making excuses for what he's done here! Apparently he's changed his ways. Nobody for 100 miles around would want to hurt Cyrus!" he sneered.

Xena walked over to the woman. "Please tell me what he looked like," she said softly, dreading the answer.

Audora looked at Xena with hate in her eyes. "He was tall and lanky. He had black hair and his eyes...." She stopped for a moment and shuddered as she recalled the way he looked at her. "Those eyes.... Oh Gods, they had no depth in them.... Nothing. They gave me the creeps. I'm sorry, that's all I saw. The rest of his face was covered by a black cloth."

Xena stared the woman who was describing the old Jett. Something was wrong. Very wrong. She turned to the people, again raising her hands for silence. "Please calm down! I can bring the man to you, but I want you to promise him a fair trial!"

"Oh, he'll get a fair trial, lady. Then he loses his head!" the first villager yelled as she mounted Argo and galloped away.

Gabrielle rode into the camp and saw that Joxer and Jett were missing. She leapt off her horse and began looking around for any signs of them. "Joxer! Jett! Where are you?"

"Hmmm.... Ohhhhhhh, my head...." Gabrielle turned in the direction of the moaning and the more familiar sound of Joxer's armor clanking. She saw the helmet-less warrior wannabe crawling away from the bushes and rushed over to him. "Joxer! What happened to you?! Where's Jett?!" she asked.

Joxer rubbed at the lump rising from his forehead where Jett had made contact with the piece of firewood as he tried to focus his eyes. "Oh, Gods! I'm really sorry, Gabby! Jett surprised me and knocked me out with a piece of firewood," he explained hastily.

"WHAT?! I don't believe this! YOU STUPID IDIOT! Xena and I can't trust you one bit! Can't you do anything right, you mor...." Gabrielle screamed at him, her face turning red. She stopped short as she looked down at him cowering before her, his eyes squeezed shut. He held his hands over his nose protectively and curled himself into a fetal position. She realized that he was waiting for her to twist his nose until she broke it again, kick him, or something worse. Gabrielle swallowed hard as she gazed down at him. Is that all he'll think that I'll do to him is hurt him? Have I done so many things to him that it's all he expects from me? she thought to herself guiltily.

Cautiously, he opened his eyes and looked up at her. To his complete surprise, she didn't hit him but held her hand out to him and helped him to his feet instead. "Are you all right, Joxer?" she asked with concern in her voice, looking at the spectacular bruise that was surfacing on his forehead with alarm.

"I think so," he replied shakily, blinking several times, a bit stunned that she hadn't twisted his nose or something much worse.

"Good. C'mon, we've got to get into town! No, Joxer, not on foot!" she stopped him before he started to stumble unsteadily down the path. "Joxer, get on my horse. We have to hurry before the villagers try to kill Jett!"

"What are you talking about? What's he done?!" Joxer asked dazedly as she helped him onto her horse. "I'll tell you on the way," Gabrielle answered as they began riding towards town at full speed.

Meanwhile, Xena was at Audora's farm checking out Cyrus' body. She frowned when she saw the wound that killed him. It was quick and very professional looking in appearance. Obviously, Cyrus' killer was someone who knew what exactly they were doing. She looked up at Audora, her expression stony. "I'm sorry." She then turned to the villagers' leader. "I'll have him here by sundown."

Jace turned at the sound of knocking on his wagon door. "Enter," he said.

The man dressed in leather came in. "It's been done. Now I want my money!" he demanded.

Jace nodded his head and gave the man his fee. The man took the money and stuffed it inside his money pouch. "Nice doing business with you, friend." He smirked at the dancer. "But I'm afraid you saw my face and for that, you can't be permitted to live."

Jace stood up and backed away from him. "We had a deal to set up Jett. I paid your price, now leave!"

The assassin's grin widened. "Sorry, no can do." He pulled out his dagger, grabbed Jace and was about to plunge the dagger in his heart when his eyes suddenly rolled into the back of his head and he fell to the floor, dead. Jace stared at the body, panting from fear. "Oh thank you, my friend," he breathed.

"Don't mention it, brother," Jett replied smoothly.

Jace stared into Jett's eyes, hatred crossing his features. "I heard you were in the area so I wanted to stop by and say hello. Looks like it's a good thing that I did," Jett observed.

"Get out of here!" Jace yelled.

"Jace, please. I've changed. I'm not the same man that you knew from a long time ago. Please, talk to me," Jett said, his eyes pleading for understanding and forgiveness.

"I said GET OUT!" Jace reached out and pushed Jett to the floor. He stood over him, breathing heavily in his rage.

Suddenly, one of the dancers came running into the dressing room. "Jace, Xena's here! She said that she's looking for the King of Assassins!"

Jace turned to Jett, still lying on the floor then back to the dancer. "Tell her that he's here."

The dancer left and shortly returned with Xena. Jett got to his feet and smiled widely as he raised his hands up in the air and backed away from her. "Hi, Xena. I guess you want to know why I'm here...." He never heard Xena's answer as she sent her fist right into his face and he fell to the floor. She said nothing but picked him up over her shoulder and stalked outside Jace's wagon. She threw him over Argo's back, took the reins and walk away. Jace stood inside the doorway and smiled. "He's finally going to get what he's deserved all this time," he said.

Alto looked at him, stunned at what he was hearing come from his lover's lips. "I hope you can live with what you've done. I can't."

"Then leave! I don't need you!" Jace cried out.

"No, you don't need me. All you need is your hate and your precious revenge," Alto bitterly shook his head and left.

Xena walked into town leading Argo. When she entered the town's square where everyone was waiting, she let Jett drop to the ground with a loud thud. "Here's the King of Assassins, just like I promised you."

The men grabbed the unconscious Jett and dragged him to their jail. When he wakes, we'll have a quick trial and then he dies!" one of the men yelled.

"Yes! Yes! A quick trial!" The villagers immediately took up the chant. Gabrielle stepped in front of a very upset Joxer. "Stop! You can't do this! We have to wait for the judge to come!" she shouted over the mob's screams of vengeance.

A man stepped forward, grinning nastily. "I'm the judge and if it were up to me, at this very moment his head would be hanging on a post in the middle of town."

Joxer watched helplessly as Jett was taken away. "Why, Jett? Why would you do something like this?" he whispered. "I believed that you had changed, too. I saw it in your eyes...." Xena and Gabrielle shook their heads sadly. "Please, Xena. You have to prove that he didn't do it," he pleaded. Gabrielle reached over and patted his shoulder.

"I'll try, Joxer, but it doesn't look good for him at all," Xena replied.

That night, the three friends were in the tavern but none of them were talking. Joxer was nursing his ale and Gabrielle was just plain tired. She sat at the table with her head propped up with her fist, yawning as she tried to keep awake. Xena was trying to put everything together. Something wasn't right, but she couldn't put her finger on what it was. She got up and left her friends.

Xena walked over to the jail and entered it. "What do you want, Xena?" the jailer growled at her.

"I want to see Jett," she replied calmly.

"Well, you can't." The guard pointedly turned away from her - not a good idea, as she grabbed his tunic and was in his face in a matter of seconds. "I'm going to represent him in the trial so I have every right to see him," she hissed and threw him back in his chair.

Terrified, the man got up and shook his head. "Whatever you say, Warrior Princess!" he squeaked.

"Good boy," she smirked. He took Xena back to see Jett. She turned to the man. "Unlock the cell. I can handle it from here."

"Whatever you say, lady." The guard did as she said, then turned around and practically ran from the room. Jett watched the man leave with a slightly amused expression on his face. "Xena, am I glad to see you!"

Xena suddenly grabbed him and threw him up against the wall. "You son of a Bacchae! I trusted you!"

"Hey, calm down! I had to see Jace," Jett sputtered.

"Jace? What are you talking about?" Xena demanded, loosening her grip on his shirt slightly.

"Jace. I went to see him. I wanted to try and make things better," Jett explained.

"You tried to hide there after you killed that farmer," Xena growled.

Jett looked at Xena. "That's not true, Xena. I haven't killed anyone since being with you, Gabrielle, and Joxer. How could I, at any rate? You've got my weapons."

Xena stared at him, ice-blue eyes flashing angrily. "You could've gotten a weapon. That's not hard for somebody like you to do."

"Xena, the only thing that I did wrong was take advantage of Joxer's trusting nature, and for that I'm sorry. Is he all right?" Jett asked. Xena nodded and he sighed, relieved.

"We want his head! We want his head!" the mob chanted outside the jail.

Jett smiled wearily. "Friendly bunch, don't you think?"

Xena shook her head. "Jett, you better be telling me the truth," she hissed, her face inches away from his.

"I am, Xena. I didn't kill that farmer, I swear! I went to see Jace. In fact, I saved his life!"

Xena closed her eyes for a moment, desperately trying to believe him before she spoke again. "Jett, Jace said you tried to kill him."

Jett's eyes grew wide. "Xena, that's not true! When I came, a tall man dressed in black leather was going to kill Jace. I saved him."

Xena relaxed her grip on Jett's shirt. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?!"

"Well, maybe it was because you knocked me out before I could. Xena, I'm telling you the truth. I saved Jace and he didn't even care!" Jett's eyes lowered guiltily as he remembered his past and what he did to Jace's former lover.

Xena didn't speak for a while as she absorbed all the information he had told her. "Jett, was the man about your size and build?" she asked softly.

"Yeah," Jett muttered.

"Hmmm... I think Jace set you up," she said finally.

Jett sighed and passed a hand over his face. "Oh Gods, does he hate me that much for what I did?" he whispered.

"I think he does. Jett, we have to prove that he framed you," Xena said urgently.

"But how are you going to do that, with my past?" Jett asked.

"I'll think of something. I promise, I won't let you die," Xena took his hands in hers briefly.

Jett nodded his head. Suddenly, the jailer came in and pulled Jett away from Xena. "Come on, the judge is ready for you. Let's go, you murdering scum," he sneered. Xena followed the two as they walked from the jail.

The trial was being held inside the tavern. The whole town was there. Those who couldn't fit inside the tavern were crowded around the windows, trying to get a view. Jett was pushed and shoved inside the tavern to jeers and catcalls. He was pushed into a chair behind a long table. He refused to look over at Joxer and Gabrielle, who were watching him with sad expressions on their faces.

"All rise." Immediately, everyone inside the tavern rose to their feet. "Hear ye, hear ye. This court is now in session, the honorable judge Homer presiding," the bailiff said as the judge entered the tavern, sat down behind another table facing the audience and slammed his gavel down on the tabletop.

"Please be seated," Homer ordered. Everyone sat down. "I am ready to hear the case of the town versus Jett, King of Assassins. I wish to hear opening statements from the plaintiff first."

"Your Honor," the prosecutor pointed at Jett. "This court will prove without a shadow of a doubt that this man, known as Jett, King of Assassins, brutally and without care, killed Cyrus, the most trusted and beloved man in this town." He glared at the two seated at the table next to him.

"I will hear from the defendant now," the judge said.

Xena stood up. "Your Honor, I am here to prove that my client was set up."

The Judge nodded his head. He looked at the prosecutor. "Please call your witnesses."

The prosecutor bowed slightly. "Thank you, your honor. I wish to call Cyrus's wife, Audora."

Audora took the stand. "Now Audora. Please tell the court: is the man that killed your husband in here?"

Audora looked at Jett for a long time. "I'm not sure because I only saw his eyes. May I take a look at his eyes?"

The Judge looked at Xena. "Bring your client forward," he said.

Xena took Jett up to Audora. She studied him, frowning uncertainly. "I can't tell. Could you please have him cover his face except for his eyes?"

The Judge nodded and Xena was handed a cloth that she covered Jett's face with, only allowing his eyes to be seen. She then turned him around to face Audora.

Audora studied Jett carefully before she turned to the judge. "No, this isn't the man who killed Cyrus. That man's eyes had no soul in them. This man's eyes do. They're lost and confused, but I can see his soul inside them."

Everyone gasped at her statement. The judge turned to Audora, frowning sternly. "Are you absolutely sure, Audora?"

"Yes, I'm positive. He didn't kill Cyrus." Joxer sagged in his seat, relieved. Gabrielle patted his shoulder in support.

The tavern went into an uproar as Jace walked in. "Your Honor, she speaks the truth. Jett didn't kill her husband," he told the judge.

The judge looked at him, eyebrows hidden underneath his hair as he took in the dancer's appearance. "Who are you?!"

"I am Jace, The Entertainer, your Honor and brother of Jett The Assassin and Joxer The Mighty," Jace replied.

"Do you know who killed Cyrus?" Homer asked.

"Yes, sir. It was a man named Malcolm. I hired him to frame my brother out of revenge and I'm ready to take my punishment," Jace told him.

Everyone began talking at once at Jace's revelation. The judge banged his gavel on the table. "Order! Order in the court or I'll have you all thrown out of here!" he shouted. When the people grew quiet again, he addressed the court. "Jett, King of Assassins, please stand."

Jett did as he was told, Xena standing next to him. "You are free to leave here, but I never want to see you in my town again."

Jett nodded his head and smiled at Xena. Her lips curved up slightly in reply. The judge banged his gavel again. "As for you, Jace The Entertainer, you will be sent to prison for two years for your part in the death of Cyrus."

"Yes, your Honor," Jace agreed as the jailer approached him. He held out his hands as the shackles were placed around his wrists.

Xena watched the audience leave the tavern and then approached Jace. "Why?"

"Why what?" Jace asked.

Xena stared at him and snorted. "You know what. You had Jett right where you wanted him to be. Why did you tell the truth?"

Jace raised his eyebrows. "I don't know what you mean, Xena. Please watch out for my brothers." He paused for a moment. "You want to know something, Xena? Alto was right. I am no better than Jett is."

Xena sighed as Jace was taken away by the jailer to serve his sentence. She walked outside the tavern and joined her friends waiting for her. They watched as Jace was led away, Joxer shaking his head sadly. Jett went over to him and stopped them. "Jace, thank you for telling the truth." He held his hand out.

Jace stared at his hand, then smiled. "You stay on the right side of the law, bro."

"I will, Jace," Jett promised. The jailor took Jace away. He then turned and walked back over to his friends. Xena reached into Argo's saddlebag and threw the kitten t-shirt at him. "Put it on now."

"But Xena..." Jett grumbled.

"I said: put it on," Xena growled, but her eyes were twinkling as she said it. "I warned you that if you screwed up, you'd have to wear it for as long as I said you had to."

Hanging his head in defeat, Jett took off the shirt he had borrowed from Joxer and put the t-shirt on. The other three laughed. Jett grinned sheepishly. "So, just long do I have to wear this, Xena?"

"One month," Xena replied with a wide grin. Jett groaned and the two women laughed as they mounted their horses. Jett mounted his own horse and helped Joxer up. "Jox?"

"Yeah?"

"The next time I want to leave, talk me out of it."

"I will try, bro. I will try," Joxer replied with a grin. Jett nodded, spurred his horse into a trot and they followed the two women.

Please take the time to write to Susan at sasondo42@yahoo.com, and let her know how you liked the story!

COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER:
Xena: Warrior Princess, Xena, Gabrielle, Joxer, Jett, Jace, and all 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. This story is copyright © 2001 by Susan Owens 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.