Disclaimer: All the standard stuff, Xena, Gabrielle, Eve & Joxer belong to Studios USA, Universal and all the rest.

Summary: Well, I know this isn’t a conventional Xena Story, but I like the less obvious. I don’t know how, but while Xena and Gabrielle did not age in 25 years, neither did Joxer. For the sake of arguments, let’s just assume that he sneaked into the ice cave before Ares sealed it and put himself in an ice coffin.

Xena watched as Gabrielle & Eve put away the last of the dishes after washing up the few items that they had used to cook their dinner. She glanced at Joxer and saw him watching her. He raised his eyebrows at her giving her the go ahead sign. She sighed; this is way harder than she had anticipated. She coughed softly to try to get the attention of Gabby & Eve, but the girls were engaged in their own conversation and didn’t notice.

Xena gave Joxer a look that clearly said ‘I tried’, but Joxer just gave her another impatient look. He said loudly, "Gabby, Eve, can you two come over here?"

Gabrielle glanced over and gave him a dismissing look, "later Joxer." She turned back to Eve and the two were caught up in their own conversation again. Xena moved over to sit down next to Joxer; she gave him an apologetic smile, "this can wait, we’ll just tell them later."

"But…" Xena grabbed hold of his hand and gave him her sweetest smile, which did the trick and Joxer fell silent. She quickly dropped his hand when the two girls glanced over at them. Joxer sighed and whispered; "you better tell them soon." Xena turned her back on the girls and mouthed the word ‘promise’ to Joxer that brought a somewhat reluctant smile from the warrior wannabe.

Xena woke up the next morning before sunrise. She looked over at her daughter and best friend and saw that they were both still asleep. She glanced over to the other side of the remains of the campfire and saw that Joxer was wide-awake and was just lying there watching her. She smiled at him and motioned him to follow her. The two quietly left the campsite and strolled hand in hand down to the lake.

"How long have you been up?" She asked.

"A long time. Actually I couldn’t sleep last night." He took her hand and kissed it lightly. "I kept thinking about you. I was just waiting for you to get up."

"Joxer, you silly fool, but you do make me feel good." She looked at him affectionately.

"Xena, when are you going to tell them? I don’t want to be sneaking around like this anymore. I want to be able to hold you and kiss you whenever and wherever I want. This is killing me."

"Joxer, this isn’t easy for me neither, but I have to find the right time. I don’t know how Eve and especially Gabrielle will handle this. Even though she won’t admit it, I know she has feelings for you. How can I come out and tell her that I now have her man?"

"Xena, Gabby doesn’t care. She has told me on more than one occasion that she only loves me like a friend. Before it used to hurt me so much, but now I’m just so glad that she turned me down. You are my real love." He said and pulled her into his arms. He kissed her long and hard and was rewarded by the hands that started to undress him. The two hit the ground and continued their long and sensual exploration of each other.

When they finally returned to camp, Gabby and Eve were up and about and were rummaging through their supplies trying to get breakfast ready. "Hi Mom, where did the two of you go? Did you get any food?" Eve looked up from her task and smiled at her mother.

"Actually, we only just got up not long ago. We tried to find some game but didn’t have any luck." Xena improvised quickly, darting a guilty look at Joxer.

"Oh, is that why you two are such a mess?" Gabby walked up to Xena and pull out a couple pieces of grass from her hair. She then dusted the Warrior Princess in the back, "were you two hiding in the bushes just waiting?" She asked innocently.

"Gabby…" Joxer started to say but was interrupted by Xena, "yeah, Gabby, that’s it. We were hiding, hoping to see a rabbit or something, but no such luck."

Joxer gave Xena an exasperated look, but was met by pleading blue eyes. His anger subsided, and he sat down without another word.

Gabrielle, on the other hand, turned around and winked at Eve. Eve ducked her head so that the other two could not see her smile. "Oh well, that’s too bad. I guess we’ll have to settle for that stale, old bread." Gabby said lightly and reached into her bag to pull out some bread.

After breakfast they broke camp and started on their way. Once again Joxer tried to get Xena to talk to the girls, but once again, Xena refused. Eve and Gabby were watching their silent exchange of glances, the pleading looks and the reluctant acceptance. They turned around and started to giggle. "What’s so funny?" Xena asked.

"Umm, it’s nothing Xena. Eve and I are just having a girl talk."

"Why don’t you two share your joke?" Xena demanded.

"You two might not find it quite so funny." Eve looked at Gabby and ventured lightly.

"Maybe you can tell us so that we may decide for ourselves."

"Mom, it’s nothing." Eve shrugged, "let’s get going before it’s too late and we have to stay out here again. I want to hurry and get back to see Grandma."

Without another word, Gabby quickly got onto her horse and galloped away. Eve followed, leaving Xena and Joxer to stare at each other.

Gabby and Eve continued to ride on ahead of the other two. They kept glancing back and talk to each other; amused laughter often rang out from the duo in front. Xena and Joxer were riding quite a way behind and were not able to hear a word.

Xena looked over at Joxer and said worriedly, "I have a feeling those two are up to something."

"Eve and Gabby? You are imagining things. Those two are just acting like sisters."

"It’s a little more than that I think. I have this gut feeling that they are plotting something."

"You worry too much. I want you to get all unpleasant thoughts out of that pretty head of yours." Joxer said tenderly; "just concentrate on me, on us."

That afternoon they stopped to set up camp for the night. While Gabrielle and Eve were building the campfire, Xena and Joxer went fishing for their dinner.

The fishing was just an excuse for the two of them to indulge in their little stolen moment of togetherness. They were knees deep in water, playfully splashing each other while snatching a kiss now and then when Gabrielle and Eve nosily made their appearance. They two lovers quickly stepped away from each other. Xena made a real effort and caught a fish with her bare hands. She tossed that onto the bank and stood watching the movement of water again, suddenly she dug her hand into the water and came up with another fish. Joxer looked on in admiration and sighed dreamily. Xena slapped him with the fish and Joxer snapped out of his trance. With another warning look, Xena walked out of the water toward the two girls waiting on the bank.

Eve looked at her mother with an expectant look on her face, but Xena refused to meet her eyes. Gabrielle gave Eve an impish grin and started to walk closer to the water. She watched as Joxer once again pulled in an empty pole. She turned back to Xena and gave a girlish giggle, "isn’t he just wonderful?"

"WHAT?" Xena was speechless.

"Just look at him, not only is he the sweetest and most considerate person, he’s so cute and cuddly."

Xena looked at Gabs, opened her mouth but nothing came out. She gave Gabby a pained look, sniffled a couple times, and said in a low voice, "I’m going back to camp."

Eve looked at the retreating back of her mom and turned to Gabby, "don’t you think you are over doing it."

Gabs simply shrugged, "we need to push a little harder." She turned to see that Joxer was so absorbed in his task that he didn’t even realize Xena had walked off. Gabs turned back to Eve, "listen, I’ve got a plan."

That night after dinner, Gabrielle gave Eve a mischievous smile and went to sit down next to Joxer. "Hi Joxer, what are you doing?" She said and gave him her brightest, most radiant smile.

"Nothing. I, uh, I was just sitting here." Joxer glanced at Xena and said somewhat uncomfortably.

Xena’s eyes widened as she saw Gabby took Joxer by the hand and tried to pull him up; "I feel like going for a walk. Want to come?" The campfire had only illuminated the blonde beauty to perfection. Xena looked on as the green-eyed monster reared its ugly head. She dropped the wet stone that she was using onto the ground with a loud bang. Gabby looked over at her, "you should be more careful with that. You didn’t hurt yourself, did you?"

Joxer yanked his hand away; "maybe Eve can go with you."

"Sorry Gabby, but I’m too tired to go anywhere tonight." Eve returned without even bothering to look up.

"I want you to come with me." Gabby said and tried to act flirtatious even though she really had no idea what to do.

"You know Gabrielle, it’s too late for anyone to be out walking. I suggest you go to bed." Xena said coldly.

"But look at that moon, it’s such a perfect night." Gabrielle said glancing at the night sky. The moon was bright and round, it did indeed look inviting. By the moonlight, Gabrielle’s flawless skin turned a luminous glow. Her blonde hair shined with health, and Xena couldn’t take it any more. She stalked over to Gabby, pushed her aside, and in front of both her daughter and best friend, pulled Joxer into her arms and kissed him passionately. She then pushed Joxer away from her, turned her attention back to Gabby, "he’s taken. You got it? He’s my man, go find your own." She said clearly with both hurt and anger in her voice. She heard a muffled laugh and saw to her surprise that both Gabrielle and Eve were laughing uncontrollably. She looked at Joxer and saw that he too, was eyeing the two girls in surprise. "What?"

"Oh Xena, you should have seen yourself." Gabby said between laughter. "Would you have hit me too?"

"You knew, didn’t you?" Realization hit home, "you planned this whole seduction thing!" Xena said angrily.

"Well, if I didn’t, how long would we have to wait before you will tell us?" Gabrielle finally stopped laughing, although she couldn’t get that grin off her face. "I’m sorry Joxer, but it was just too good of an opportunity to let slip."

"I can’t believe you two." Xena said angrily, turned away and went to sit by Joxer. Joxer pulled her into his arms to try to calm her down. The warmth of his embrace mellowed her out considerably. She looked at the other two who were at that moment sharing a guilty look while grinning an apologetic smile at her. Her anger subsided as she snuggled up to Joxer.

Eve walked over and tentatively put a hand out to her mother, "we didn’t mean any harm, Mom. It’s just that it was so clear to us and yet you two wouldn’t even come out and tell us. Gabrielle and I just got tired of waiting, so we thought we’d speed things up a little." She complained.

"I, well, I guess I was afraid." Xena admitted, and at Eve inquiring look, "I didn’t know how you two would feel about, well… about me and Joxer being together."

Gabrielle came over and hugged Xena tightly, "you know that the only thing we care about is your happiness. I think we know Joxer well enough to know that he will never intentionally hurt you. If you are happy, then so are we."

"You really don’t mind?" At Gabrielle’s puzzled look, she added, "how could you not be in love with him?"

Gabrielle’s frown cleared to be replaced by a look of total amusement, "well Xena, as hard as it might seem to you, Joxer and I have more or less grown to be like brothers and sisters. He annoys me no end, and I’m sure I do the same to him."

Joxer looked at Gabby and had to nod in agreement. "Sometimes you are kind of irritating. Like what you did just now, you almost gave me a heart attack."

"Yeah Gabby, that really wasn’t very funny." Xena said in a hurt voice.

"Look Mom, had you just told us the truth, we wouldn’t have to drag it out of you."

"Well…"

Gabrielle smiled at Xena, gave her a warm hug, and whispered in her ear, "go for it Xena. I approve, you daughter approves. Just be happy, that’s all we want for you." She disengaged herself from their embrace and gently pushed Xena toward Joxer. Xena doesn’t need a second invitation, she ran back toward Joxer and literally threw herself at him knocking him backwards. The two tumbled to the ground laughing as Gabrielle and Eve silently picked up their bedrolls and walked off to set up camp elsewhere.

The End