�Wow,� the Demigod commented lowly to his cousin when he saw the Bard�s red face, and Sorrow sighed, �Oh, no . . .�

When the Wannabe Warrior failed to appear and Gabrielle didn�t come back, Hercules looked to Sorrow and asked, �Sooo, which one do you want to take?�

�Better let me take Joxer,� Sorrow answered logically, knowing the Amazon Queen would not be receptive to anything she would have to say, especially after what the goddess sensed emanating from the Bard.

�Good luck,� Hercules saluted her as he made his way out of the cave, and Sorrow followed Joxer�s essence through the hall to the secret temple. No sooner had she entered the room, a mixture of unhappiness and pure elation hit her, and she instantly knew whose temple they were in, and accurately guessed what had happened.

�Joxer?� Sorrow asked gently, for he was sitting on a log with his head resting on his crossed arms. Altogether, he made for a rather sad picture until he looked up and revealed the rather satisfied grin that had yet to dissipate. �Joxer!� she laughed in mock surprise, which only made him grin even more widely.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

�Gabrielle?� Hercules called out tentatively as he neared the cave�s entrance, and heard her reply from a small, dark recess in the wall behind him.

�I�m here, Hercules.�

Hercules turned and looked upon her in surprise, for he�d walked right past her hiding place � a great credit to the Amazon Queen and a great demerit for the son of Zeus.

�Are you alright?� he asked tentatively, setting his discomfiture aside for hers.

�I � I don�t know,� she sighed, shrugging non-committally.

�What happened?� he ventured gently, somehow certain now that this was the particular cave he had suspicioned it was, and the Bard�s unhappy answer confirmed it.

�We found an old temple to Aphrodite,� she replied, her voice sounding more than a little upset and disturbed by what had happened.

�And, if I know ancient temples,� the Demigod offered sheepishly, �you weren�t exactly expecting what you encountered there?�

�To say the least,� Gabrielle agreed. �I�ve never been so embarrassed and ashamed in all my life!�

�Well, I�m sure Joxer isn�t feeling any better about it than you are, Gabby,� he suggested.

�I know, and that�s what makes it so bad � it was me who caused what happened back there . . .�

�Does he know that?�

Gabrielle shook her head slowly, �I don�t think so.�

�What does he think happened, then?�

�I�m not sure, but I think he believes it was something Aphrodite did, and that�s just not so � not this time,� the Amazon explained, summarily excusing the Goddess of Love, and Hercules had to agree. Aphrodite genuinely liked both the Bard and the clueless warrior, and he sincerely doubted that his sister would have forced anything on them at this crucial time.

�Gabby, it�s a very old temple � �

�Hercules, that�s no excuse!� she said emphatically. �I basically forced myself on Joxer!�

The Demigod eyed the Amazon Queen questioningly, �So, how do you feel about him, Gabby?�

Gabrielle looked to Hercules with almost frightened eyes as she replied, �I don�t know . . . I thought I couldn�t stand him, and then he told me he loved me . . . and I�ve been lost ever since.�

�Do you love him, too?�

The Bard shrugged, �I know I love him like family . . . but I thought it was nothing more than what I felt for my own sister, or Xena.�

Hercules nodded in understanding, �So, you�re confused?�

�Exactly!� she agreed heartily, and then sobered again. �How did I do this, Hercules? That dream was so vivid . . .�

�Well, Gabby, one thing I�ve always found is that temples alone can�t force such �dreams� on you, and I know that Aphrodite wouldn�t have,� Hercules explained with a note of apology to his voice. �The temple couldn�t make either one of you participate in that if you both hadn�t wanted to.�

Gabrielle nodded unhappily, �That�s what I was afraid of.�

�Don�t be afraid of love, Gabrielle,� the Demigod said fondly as he pulled her into a warm hug. �It�s hard to find, so be joyful when it finds you.�

The Amazon nodded against his chest and hugged him back, knowing he was right and yet, somehow, knowing that she was going to be in Tartarus until she and Xena could make their flight into Egypt. Some time away from Joxer would do her good and maybe � just maybe � he would change his mind and learn to love another.

~ Fat chance! ~ she grumbled inwardly, knowing the Wannabe Warrior would be waiting for her no matter how far she traveled or how long she stayed away.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Xena was extremely glad that Iolaus was riding a good deal ahead of herself and Autolycus, because the master thief was taking major advantage of his current position, and while she surprisingly found herself tolerating him, the Warrior Princess and former Destroyer of Nations was not overly anxious for her other friends to discover her weak spot for this particular bad boy.

�Come on, Xena,� Autolycus murmured into her ear. He had his hands clasped around her so that he could pull her back into his arms, and his lips had already been paying homage to her slender neck. �Just half an hour . . . he won�t miss us.�

�Autolycus,� Xena purred, extremely tempted by the idea somehow, �I wish we had the time, but we don�t . . . We have to be somewhere . . .�

Somehow the image of the cave and the memory of who waited for them there managed to filter slowly through to the King of Thieves� brain and he reluctantly pulled back, �You�re right, Xena . . . please forgive me � I can�t seem to keep my head straight around you for some reason!�

�I know,� Xena smiled, feeling more flattered than she�d felt in a long time � well, except for a few, brief moments here and there over the past year or so. �It�s only natural.�

Autolycus looked askance at the back of her head and quipped, �I see someone is feeling mighty sure of herself today!�

Xena laughed, �No, Autolycus � I don�t mean that it�s natural that you can�t keep your mind on business around me; I mean, it�s natural that you�d be feeling that way after where you�ve been. It�s the cave, Autolycus � it�s an old temple to Aphrodite!�

�Uh, Xena, we still obviously have a ways to go before we get there,� Autolycus said as he looked down the rather long stretch of road they still had yet to cover. �How can that cave possibly affect me here?�

�You helped Joxer take the goddess there to hide, right? Well, you became exposed to the power of the cave then,� she explained, liking that he still hadn�t removed his hands from where they were resting � just below her breastplate. �And you�ve been fixated on me ever since, right?�

�Well,  . . . more or less,� he admitted sheepishly. �But then, I do think of you more often than not anyway.�

�Which is why you�re here now,� she concluded fondly. �The cave is like a magnifying glass for the emotion of love.�

�Love?� the thief echoed incredulously, then pulled her back more firmly and murmured into her ear, �Speaking of which . . .�

�Later, Autolycus,� Xena fairly promised, turning her head to brush her lips against his. She had meant just to give him a quick �preview� kiss, but he had somehow anticipated her move. His hand caught her face firmly below her chin, trapping her in his possession while he deepened the kiss hungrily.

Moments later he released her and she pulled away just enough to gaze into his soulful brown eyes, knowing that the point of their conversation had already escaped him, but she had known from the moment he had first told her of the cave that his first impulsive kiss back at the inn would not be the last, and that he would probably pursue her openly sooner or later.

And, if certain elements were good and stayed out of her path, Xena thought that she would very likely be affected similarly for him, and the chance of sharing bedrolls that night was a definite possibility.

To the surprise of the master thief, Xena�s arm reached behind his neck as she seized hold of him and pulled him back for another long, languorous kiss. However, pressed so closely together, Xena sensed a sudden hardening of his resolve to seduce her, and knew she�d better put a stop to this now.

�Autolycus,� she panted as she broke the kiss with extreme reluctance, �we can�t do this � we are late as it is!�

�Then, it won�t matter if we�re even more late,� he wheedled temptingly, slowly but surely working his fingers under the edge of her breastplate. �I want to make love to you, Xena . . .�

Xena smiled with saddened fondness, �I don�t want to stop any more than you do, but you know how important it is that we get Iolaus to his destination. We can�t fail him in this, Auto, and you know that.�

�Hmmm,� the King of Thieves growled under his breath, reluctantly removing his hands from beneath her armour, �you�re lucky he�s got someone important waiting for him.�

�Oh yeah?�

�Yeah.�

Xena grinned to herself as she felt the master thief returning his hands to her waist for proper ballast, obeying her in spite of himself. �Good boy,� she praised, but he merely grunted in return, causing her to grin even more.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

�We all know it wasn't real,� Joxer shrugged non-committally to the Goddess of Lamentation. �I mean, hey, this isn�t the first time something like this has happened to us, and it never meant anything before � at least, not on her part.�

�But, it meant something to you, Joxer!� Sorrow interjected emphatically. �Never, ever discount yourself and your own feelings in any situation, whether it be real or merely a dream! Love should never be ignored � it should be recognized, glorified, and exalted!�

Joxer turned to the goddess with a sober look and said, �Really, Sorrow, what good is any of it if she still doesn�t love me back when the spell wears off or when we wake up? What good is it to have these feelings when I know that ultimately I�m wasting my emotions � not to mention my time!?�

Sorrow shook her head sadly, �I don�t know what to tell you, Joxer. I�m not Aphrodite and so I can�t explain to you what happened here this afternoon. Only she can possibly explain this all to you � but I can tell you one thing: That dream may not have been real, but the emotions behind it were, and that goes for the both of you!�

�She�d never admit it, even if she did feel something,� Joxer contradicted resolutely, refusing to be swayed again. �It�s not worth it to me to even begin thinking like that again.�

�And to me, it�s worth the world, Joxer,� the goddess sighed unhappily. �I�d give anything if you�d give your heart just one more chance � if you�d give Gabrielle just one more chance � �

�What chance? The chance to stomp on my heart again? No way!� Joxer exclaimed as he leapt up from his seat, intent on leaving. A moment later, he turned back apologetically, �Forgive me, Goddess, but I know where I stand with Gabrielle, and I�m not willing to risk that again for all the tea in Chin!�

�Okay, Joxer,� Sorrow nodded in defeat, her voice becoming strained, �continue to let her call all the shots if you must, but let it not be said that the Goddess of Lamentation did not try to convince you otherwise.�

The Wannabe Warrior nodded, his eyes falling to the floor in shame, as the pride he�d gained earlier seemed to deflate along with his posture. He hadn�t meant to insult Sorrow, but he just couldn�t bear to push this situation any further. If he knew Gabrielle, she was probably off somewhere private, cursing herself that she�d fallen into another trap that left her feeling embarrassed and stupid, especially in the view of the Warrior Princess.

�She spends a great deal of time trying to live up to Xena, doesn�t she?� Sorrow asked, cutting into his unhappy thoughts. Her voice reflected her lack of understanding for the bard�s efforts to be a warrior.

�She wants to be just like her,� Joxer explained, and then shrugged, �I guess we both do.�

�I suppose that should be expected,� Sorrow nodded, and then chuckled softly. �You know, I used to wish that I could be just like Gabrielle!�

�You did?� Joxer looked up to her in surprise and seeming disbelief.

Sorrow smiled, �Yes, I did. I thought she was what Iolaus wanted in a woman.�

�You mean � ?�

�Yes, Joxer, I supposed you could say that I was somewhat jealous of her,� she admitted easily. �However, you must understand that Gabrielle was the first woman, since the death of his wife Ania, to touch his heart in the way that she did. She taught him that it was safe to trust his heart around a woman again.�

�Oh yeah, I remember. Prometheus.� Joxer voiced unenthusiastically as he sat back down next to her.

�It wasn�t an easy story for me to read, either, Joxer,� Sorrow smiled as she touched his arm comfortingly, glad that he�d returned to her side. �But, she did inspire me, and not only did I have the courage to defend myself in battle on my first day out in the world, but I also managed to win the heart of my true love! I am therefore obliged to give credit where it is due and make note that sometimes it is good to have heroes to look up to and emulate. They inspire us to have the same kind of courage they have, and courage is a very daunting thing to build. Knowing our heroes can stand up to any challenge, we challenge ourselves to be the same way. Thus, I suppose we all really owe thanks to Xena!�

�Yeah, I guess so!� Joxer laughed with her, but Sorrow quickly sobered again.

�Xena helped you to have the courage you needed to say what you needed to say, Joxer, but you know, only you said those words � not Xena. Only you had the courage to say �I love you,� and believe me, Joxer, those can be the three scariest words on earth!�

�Don�t I know it!?� Joxer agreed with extreme understanding. �But, we were under attack, so I knew I was going to be scared anyway. So I figured, what the hey � why not alienate the woman I adore in the midst of a battle?�

�Oh, Joxer, you didn�t alienate her!� Sorrow wailed unhappily. �I wish you�d stop seeing yourself as a nuisance, because you are no such thing!�

�But, Sorrow, I feel like a nuisance!� Joxer revealed confidentially.

�Come on, Joxer � you know perfectly well that Xena, the Warrior Princess, would not tolerate someone she considered to be a true nuisance, and don�t try to make up some excuse that it is merely because she feels sorry for you that she lets you hang around. She considers you to be a member of her family, Joxer, and that means everything to Xena � don�t disgrace her love for you by dismissing it as pity!�

Joxer�s face burned with embarrassment as he listened and came to realize most deeply that at the very least, Xena returned his sentiments equally, and knew he�d indeed done wrong by dismissing her love without giving it the benefit of the doubt.

�Well, I guess I mean something to Xena then, but the idea that Gabrielle could see something in me today that she didn�t see yesterday is just too much for me to believe, Goddess. I wish I could, but I can�t. I�ve been fooled by love too many times to even begin to believe something could happen between us!�

�I�m sorry you feel that way, Joxer,� Sorrow said sadly as she stood up slowly. �But, I still think you are making a mistake by not taking advantage of the effect this cave has on you mortals � �

�Please, Sorrow,� Joxer fell to his knees before her as he reached out to grab her hand. �Please just try to understand � you of all people must surely understand?�

The goddess reached down with her other hand to caress his cheek, and whispered, �I do understand, Joxer, but it�s my job to help heal all sadness, and I�m trying so hard to help you heal. But, I can�t do any more than you will allow, so I shall return to the other cave; I feel another contraction coming on.�

�Oh gosh � I�m so sorry, Goddess!� Joxer leapt up immediately in renewed concern. �Come on, I�ll help you get back � just lean on me!�

�Thank you, Joxer,� Sorrow smiled as he wrapped a supportive arm about her. �You truly are a good man, and Gabrielle is really lucky to have your admiration.�

�Too bad she�s unlucky enough to have me,� he cracked, and Sorrow stopped to cast a disparaging look upon him. �Okay, okay!� he quickly reneged. �She�s lucky to have my admiration, alright?�

On to Chapter Thirty~One

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