The threesome, now a foursome, decided to camp in the same place for the night. Forests weren't exactly the safest places to travel through on dark nights and this was one of them. Artemis seemed to have forgotten to put the stars out, resulting in the whole landscape being completely black.

"Is that broth almost ready?" Xena asked Joxer. She stepped over to the cooking fire.

"Yeah, just about." He stirred it around some more and then took a sip. "Hey, this is pretty good." He put the ladle back and stood next to Xena. "Where'd you get that recipe?"

"Just something I picked up along the way." She smiled at the warrior wannabe. "You put in everything just like I told you?"

"Yes, Xena," Joxer replied with a sigh. He was never going to be forgiven for his turnip soup. But it had brought down the entire Scythian army! "Don't worry, everything will be just fine." He trotted over to Gabrielle and the baby and stopped. He looked down at them with a soft expression. Gods how wonderful the scene was! There was his beloved quietly reading a story to the baby and the baby seemed to enjoy it. It was almost too perfect.

"Is it time to eat, Joxer?" the bard inquired, looking up at him.

Nothing.

"Joxer?" Gabrielle rose. "Hey, Joxer!"

"Huh? Oh, sorry Gabby. I was just, uh..."

"Yeah, she is beautiful." The bard gazed down at the baby who was now asleep. She smiled. "You did a good thing, Joxer. You saved her life."

Joxer's eyes danced around nervously. Did he really hear what he thought he heard? Did Gabrielle actually pay him a compliment? He gulped. "I guess I did, didn't I?"

"You sure did." She patted his arm. "Now come on and let's get some dinner. I'm starved!" Gabrielle headed for the fire.

Joxer slowly turned to follow, a huge, silly grin on his face.

The evening meal hadn't been much more than bread and soup, but somehow, it satisfied the hunger of all the travellers. Even the baby had been happy with the cooled broth when she woke up a few hours later. Xena noted how both Joxer and Gabrielle had fed the child, cleaned her up and put her back to bed again. The warrior princess began wondering just how much longer Joxer was going to wait before he admitted his feelings about the bard. She shook her head. Probably until Tartarus freezes.

Xena continued to polish her sword and chakram when she heard the child start to cry. It wasn't a cry she easily recognised. It wasn't hunger or dirty diapers (the warrior woman was still disgruntled over that incident), but something different. She set her weapons down and went over to the child. She felt her forehead and raised an eyebrow. The baby was burning up!

"What's wrong?" Joxer asked quietly, but with concern.

Xena turned, not expecting Joxer so close behind her. Without his armour to clank around, he had practically snuck up on Xena. "She's got a fever. We need to find out what's wrong." Xena lifted the child up and the child began to cry harder.

"I don't think she wants to be moved, Xena." Joxer tried to grab her, but Xena wouldn't allow it.

"I've got to examine her to find out what's wrong. It'll only be a moment."

Xena moved the child closer to the fire for better light, Joxer following in tow. She carefully laid the child down and pulled off her flimsy clothes. Joxer gasped when he saw the bruises on her back when Xena turned her over. Xena's eyes narrowed. Abusing children was not something either one of them approved of in any way.

Xena continued her search. She rested her hand on the baby's chest and waited. "She's having trouble breathing." She carefully put her head on the child's chest to listen to her heartbeat. "It's fast, even for an infant."

"What's wrong with her?" Joxer asked, fear in his voice. If he had inadvertantly done something to cause her sickness, he would never forgive himself.

"She's got pneumonia. Her lungs have fluid in them and that's why she's having breathing problems." She looked around. "I need to clear them." She went to her saddlebags and searched around, but found nothing. "I'm out of the special herbs that would help."

"There's a village not very far from here. Maybe they have someone that could help." Joxer rose and stared at his friend. She saw the fear in his eyes, and the guilt.

"It's too dark to go now. We'll have to wait until first light."

"Xena..." Joxer began to protest.

"Joxer, we have to wait!" She half sighed. "I'm sorry. I know you're concerned about her, but we can't take the risk." She put a hand on his shoulder. "She's a strong child. She's done alright so far. She'll make it through the night, Joxer. I promise you."

Joxer stared intently into the blue eyes of his friend. I'm holding you to that, Xena, he thought. Don't break your promise.

The dawn light broke through the trees, waking Xena. She yawned, rose and began to check on the child. She didn't have to.

Joxer held the baby close in his arms, gently rocking her and whispering something to her. Xena could have sworn she heard him singing his theme song. What a sound to wake up to! she thought sardonically. She quickly rose and gathered her belongings. "Joxer," she said gently.

He didn't respond.

"Hey, Joxer, come on. It's time to get moving." She knelt down and placed a hand on his knee. He finally looked at the warrior, his eyes tired and worn. Xena admired his endurance to stay awake with the child for the entire night. It seemed to help her as she was now sleeping.

"Can't." He shook his head, his voice hoarse. "Don't want to disturb her." He looked down at the small bundle. He weakly smiled at her, but noticed how pale she was and how she was still breathing with difficulty.

"Joxer, we have to get her to village. Sooner the better now that it's light out." She reached for the baby. "Here. Give her to me while you try to wake up."

Joxer wanted to protest, but found himself too weak to hardly move. His arms ached from being in the same position and he could hardly feel his legs. Xena gently pulled the child away. The warrior wannabe struggled, but finally got himself up. He walked to the stream to try to wake himself up.

Xena looked down on the child, remembering back to her own son, Solan, when he had been that small. She sometimes wondered if she had done the right thing in giving him up to the Centaurs, but always came to the conclusion that the life she had lead then would never have been good for a child. No, the Centaurs had been a family for him, something Xena could never have given. Even after his death, Xena still believed she had made the right decision. She pulled the baby closer to her.

"Gabrielle?" Xena said. "Gabrielle, it's time to get up." She walked over to the bard's sleeping roll and lightly tapped her friend with her foot. "Come on, sleepy head." Xena paused. Did I really say sleepy head? she thought. She rolled her eyes. Eh, so what?

The bard moved around, then brought the top layer down. "Oh, Xena, I had the strangest dream last night." She yawned and sat up. "Joxer was there and this little baby..." Her eyes snapped open when she saw Xena holding the child. She looked around nervously and quickly got up. "Where is Joxer?"

"Off getting himself cleaned up. He stayed up the whole night with this child."

"Why?"

Xena looked at the sleeping baby. "Because she's sick and he's worried to death about her."

"Will she be all right?" The Amazon looked in on the sleeping form as well.

"If we can get her into the village, yes." She looked at her friend. "Tell me about your dream."

"Oh, well, it wasn't anything really..." she stuttered out, shying away from the subject.

Xena cast an icy stare at her friend, but didn't push the subject. Obviously, Gabrielle didn't want to talk about it right now. "Why don't you find Joxer so we can get moving. That village isn't more than half a day's journey from here."

"Sure." Gabrielle took one more worried glance at the baby, then went towards the river. She found him sleeping on the bank. She gently shook him. "Hey, Joxer. Come on. Wake up."

"Huh? What is it?" he mumbled. He opened his eyes with great difficulty. He looked up and saw Gabrielle standing above him, the sun behind her making her whole body glow. A soft expression crossed his face and he smiled dreamily. He suddenly snapped awake. "Aria! Where is she?" He tried to jump up, but his legs were still weak and all he managed to do was fall on his backside.

"Who's Aria?" Gabrielle asked, extending her hand. She pulled Joxer up and helped steady him.

"The baby," Joxer answered. He wanted to thank Gabrielle for helping him up, but was more concerned about the child. He trotted back to the camp.

Gabrielle followed him back, amazed at the devotion he was displaying towards this child that he didn't hardly know. But if she really thought about it, she shouldn't have been surprised. Joxer displayed intense loyalty to those he cared about. Even when they had first met and Callisto had wanted him to kill her, he couldn't do it. She thought at the time it was more out of cowardice, but wondered now if it wasn't more out of a sense of right and wrong. She shrugged and pushed the thought aside.

Xena saw her friend approach. "Gabrielle, are you ready to leave? All of your stuff is packed and ready." She went up to her friend.

"Uh, sure." Gabrielle looked around Xena to Joxer who now had Aria firmly in his hold. "Xena, I'm a little worried about Joxer. I mean, don't you think he's getting a little too attached to this child?"

Xena turned her head. "Yes, he is." She faced the bard once again. "But right now, we need to get her to a healer. We'll deal with his attachment to her later when her family is contacted." Xena began to walk away when Gabrielle grabbed her arm.

"What if she doesn't have any family?"

Xena watched Joxer head towards the path leading into town. "I don't think she'll ever have to worry about that with Joxer around."

To be continued...

Return to the Haven.