Genres: Xena/Hercules
Rating: PG.
Pairing: Xena/Joxer
Series/Sequel: Sequel to "About Last Night..."
Author's Notes: Originally posted on Joxerotica and SUJE. Feedback is welcome and would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

"Joxer, what are you doing?"

The would-be warrior looked up from his work with a puzzled frown. Gabrielle was standing over him, hands on her hips with her patented "Joxer-screwed-up-again" glare on her face.

"I'm setting up camp, Gabby. What does it look like I'm doing?"

The two of them, along with Xena and Autolycus, were in the woods on the outskirts of Corinth, on the road to Xena's hometown of Amphipolis to visit her mother. Joxer had been given the task of setting up camp for the night while Xena was off rustling up some dinner. Autolycus, who had decided to tag along on the trip for reasons known only to himself, was off gathering firewood.

And apparently, Gabrielle had decided that it was her job to supervise Joxer.

"Joxer, you've only laid out three bedrolls," the bard pointed out patiently.

"So?"

"Well, there are four of us traveling together, remember?"

"Yeah?"

Gabrielle gritted her teeth and struggled to remain calm. "Well, clearly you're a bedroll short," she muttered.

Joxer looked confused for a moment, and then smiled a somewhat embarrassed smile. "Well, Gabby...I kinda figured that Xena and I would share a bedroll, ya know?"

For one of the few times in her short life, the bard found herself at a loss for words. It hadn't even occurred to her that Xena and Joxer would...

"Uh, yeah. Right. You know, I think I'll go see if Autolycus needs some help gathering that wood." Hoping that the cover of dusk would hide the blush spreading across her face, she quickly turned and headed off to find the King of Thieves.

I guess she's still getting used to the idea of Xena and I being together, Joxer thought to himself as he continued setting up the campsite. Not that I can blame her. After all, I'm still kind of surprised by the whole thing myself.

It had all happened so fast. Just six short days ago, the four of them had arrived in Corinth for Iphicles and Rena's wedding, never expecting for a moment that their lives were about to change forever.

Xena, the most magnificent woman he'd ever known, was in love with him. She wanted to share her life, her heart, everything with him. Joxer, the jerk no one ever wanted around, the loser that people merely tolerated. Somehow, some way, Xena was in love with him.

It just didn't seem real.

Back at Aphrodite's temple, he had prepared himself to walk away from his friends forever. He had been convinced that no one would want him around, that they would assume the worst and banish him from their lives. Never in a million summers did he imagine that Xena would tell him that she cared for him and was willing to try to make things work.

They never really had the opportunity to talk about their new relationship, however. Once vague memories of their first night together came flooding back along with the clarity of sobriety, the desire to relive the experience without the cloud of alcohol hanging over their heads was pretty overwhelming.

He had often fantasized about what it would be like to be the lover of the Warrior Princess, but his dreams didn't even come close to approaching reality. Not by a long shot.

But it wasn't just the physical act itself. Somehow, for the first time in his life, Joxer felt loved. None of the other women he'd ever been with made him feel that way, not even Meg. Sure, they doted on him, told him how great and virile he was...but never once did he feel loved.

And somehow, with that love on his side, he knew he could do anything. Nothing was impossible, because Xena loved him and she believed in him.

He wasn't sure why, but he didn't really need to know. It didn't matter why.

It just didn't matter.

"Okay fellas, come and get it!"

Xena cast her line back into the water, determined to catch another big trout before calling it quits and heading back to the campsite. As she watched the lure float along the surface of the lake, a warm smile spread across her face as her thoughts drifted back to the events of the last few days.

She never believed she would ever be this happy again. Not after everything she'd been through. And who knew she'd find that happiness in the guise of a sweet, wonderful, occasionally exasperating, always lovable man?

Joxer. The man of her dreams, right under her nose all this time.

There were those who said that love, the real kind, never announced itself beforehand. It had a tendency to blindside you, catch you off-guard when you least expected it. And she certainly never saw this one coming.

Sure, she had considered the possibility before. Once he found the confidence to shed the "Joxer the Mighty" facade and let his true self emerge, Joxer had become quite a man. Not the "bad boys" she always found herself drawn to, but a real man. Someone who always put others before himself, and who had compassion for those weaker and less fortunate. Someone who did the right thing not because he expected credit for it, but simply because it was the right thing to do.

Not to mention the fact that he was pretty damn gorgeous to boot.

But then he told her that he loved Gabrielle, and Xena wasn't about to stand in the way of her friends and their potential happiness. After Perdicas died, the bard had sealed off that part of her heart, seemingly determined to never again care for anyone else the way she had care for him. Xena had hoped that her best friend would open herself up and allow Joxer to love her the way he so desperately wanted to.

Besides, after all the pain and suffering Xena had caused others over the years, she honestly didn't think she deserved someone like that in her life. People like Joxer didn't fall in love with people like her.

At least, that's what she told herself.

A sharp tug on her line shook Xena out of her reverie, and with a minimum of effort she reeled in a huge rainbow trout. This should be plenty for tonight, she thought to herself as she added her latest catch to the rest of that evening's bounty and made her way back to camp.

Amphipolis was still several days away, and she was anxious to get back on the road. She wanted Cyrene and Joxer to meet and get to know one another, and she really hoped that her mother would approve of the relationship. Things like that have never mattered to her before, but they did now.

As she made her way into the campsite, she saw Joxer sitting on a nearby log preparing a fire. Argo, freshly groomed and fed, was resting nearby and happily munching on an apple. "Joxer, I told you not to give her those after nightfall," she admonished as she settled down next to him. "You're spoiling her rotten, you know."

"Oops, looks like she caught us red-handed," Joxer stage-whispered to Argo, who snorted in response.

Xena shook her head in amusement and began preparing to settle in for the night. "Where's Gabrielle?" she inquired.

"She went off to help Autolycus find some firewood," Joxer replied as he tossed a few more branches onto the fire. "Actually, I think she was a little embarrassed about the sleeping arrangements."

"What?" Confused, Xena took a quick survey of the camp and spotted the sleeping pelts nearby. "Three bedrolls, huh?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Uh, yeah. I mean, well, I just figured..." the would-be warrior stammered, blushing furiously.

The Warrior Princess just smiled as she leaned over and gave Joxer a lovingly deep kiss, marveling once again at how lucky she was to have this delightfully quirky and adorable man in her life.

She had never been so happy to be blindsided in her life.

Having traveled as far away from the campsite as she could while still remaining safely in the vicinity, the bard sat alone, deep in her own thoughts.

She had promised herself that she would be happy for Xena and Joxer. After all the three of them had been through together, she owed them that much. And whatever adjustments she'd have to make, she was willing to do as much as she could to be supportive.

But the incident with Joxer and the bedrolls finally drove home the one simple truth she had been trying to avoid: things were going to be different from now on, and she felt like the odd man out. Events had transpired so rapidly that she simply hadn't had time to process everything. And in the back of her mind, she still hadn't ruled out the possibility of godly interference as the cause of her friends' newfound interest in one another..

All of this could still be the result of some spell gone haywire, she thought to herself. In the end, it's the only explanation that makes any sense!

"That would make things so much easier for you, wouldn't it, sweetie?"

Stunned, the bard whirled around and came face to face with Aphrodite, who was regarding her with a solemn expression.

"It would be so much easier to dismiss all of this as just another divine screw-up," the Love Goddess continued. "That way, you don't have to deal with the reality of what's happening with your best buds. And you don't have to acknowledge the fact that you let a wonderful guy slip through your fingers."

"It's not like that!" the bard protested. "I mean, I'm glad Xena and Joxer found each other. It's a bit much to take in all at once, but I'm still happy for them. And I've never had those kind of feelings for Joxer to begin with. He's a great person, but..."

"But you're just not ready to feel that way about anyone," Aphrodite replied with a sad smile. "Four years is a long time, sweetie. I know how much losing Perdicas hurt, but you've got to move on with your life. Do you really think he would want you to spend the rest of your life alone?"

Gabrielle shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes at the memory of her dead husband.

Aphrodite pulled a pink handkerchief out of thin air and handed it to the bard. "You do know that Xena and Studmuffin would never abandon you, right?" she asked, changing topics for the time being. "No matter what happens, they'll always be there for you."

"I know," Gabrielle said as she wiped her eyes. "I guess their new relationship just caught me off-guard, and frankly I've never been that good at dealing with sudden changes. And I never even saw this one coming."

"Love works in mysterious ways," Aphrodite replied with a shrug. "And who would know that better than me, right?" And with a smile and a wink, she was gone as suddenly as she appeared.

"Hey Gabs, what are you doing out here?"

The bard looked up and saw Autolycus approaching her with an armload of thick branches. Clearly the heavy wood was too much for him to carry alone, but somehow that didn't stop the King of Thieves from walking with his trademark swagger.

"Well, I figured I'd help you find some firewood, but I can see that you've got everything under control," Gabrielle remarked as she jumped to her feet, silently wondering just how long he would allow his male ego to prevent him from asking her to help lighten his load.

"Well, surely the King of Thieves can handle a task as simple as gathering wood," Autolycus boasted, even as the weight of the wood threatened to rip his arms out of their sockets. Finally, self-preservation won out over pride as he realized he would never make it back to camp without Gabrielle's assistance. "Uh, little help?" he asked meekly.

Gabrielle took pity on him and took half the load to carry herself, and the two of them made their way back to the campsite.

"Autolycus, can I ask you something?" the bard inquired as they made their way through the woods.

"Sure, what is it?"

Gabrielle paused briefly, trying to think of a proper way to phrase the question. "What do you think of Joxer?" she finally asked.

Autolycus thought for a moment before answering. "Well, he's weird, clumsy, annoying and downright bizarre at times. But he's also brave and big-hearted and the most loyal friend you could ever have in your life. Of course, if you tell him I said any of that, I'll just deny it," he added with a smirk.

"I guess you're right," Gabrielle conceded. "But do you think he's right for Xena?"

"You wanna know something? If you had asked me that same question a few days ago, I probably would have laughed in your face. But after seeing them together this last little while, I gotta admit that they just might be perfect for one another. I can't remember when I've ever seen Xena so happy, and Joxer's practically walking on air." The King of Thieves then sighed wistfully and shook his head. "There was a time when I thought I would be the one who would..." he murmured before clearing his throat and returning to his usual boisterous tone. "But hey, I'm actually rooting for them to pull this off. I guess you never can tell where you'll find love, right?"

"No, I guess not," Gabrielle replied softly. She thought back to the many times she had denied herself the same kind of happiness for fear of tainting the memory of what she shared with Perdicas. Maybe Aphrodite was right about me moving on with my life, she thought to herself.

"So, what do you think about all of this?" Autolycus asked.

That's the 64,000 dinar question, isn't it? the bard thought to herself. But before Gabrielle could answer, an unexpected sight greeted her eyes as she and Autolycus approached the campsite, and it caused her to pause in her tracks.

Xena and Joxer were perched on a log near the fire, laughing and kissing and apparently oblivious to the presence of either of their friends. The Warrior Princess was smiling, a beautiful and rare sight, and her face was so open and joyful, and absolutely free from any worry or stress for the first time since Gabrielle had known her.

And Joxer seemed different, too. Clearly, he too was happy and enraptured, but there was also something more. Somehow he seemed...taller. Or maybe he was just carrying himself with more confidence and self-assurance than she had ever seen before. Sure, there was the time that he was WonderJoxer and then later when he transformed into Attis the Apeman, but this wasn't the result of some spell or trick. This is real, Gabrielle, she told herself, finally accepting the truth of the situation. This is as real as it gets...and things really are the way they should be.

"Autolycus, I think you may be right," Gabrielle replied with a warm smile. "They just might be perfect for one another."

Please take the time to write to Tim at tjoyce@rocketmail.com and let him know how you liked the story!

COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER:
Xena: Warrior Princess, Xena, Gabrielle, Joxer, Autolycus, Aphrodite, and all other characters who have appeared in either 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 © 2003 by TV's Tim and is his 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.