"Cut it out, Autolycus," warned Hercules seeing that Iolaus was about to retaliate and that even Joxer had taken offense at the thief's words.

Toris grinned, "Don't you think my sister might just get a little mad if she were to find out you were trying to corrupt me."

"Oh c'mon!" exclaimed the King of Thieves, "You're not afraid of Xena, are you?"

"YES!" came the concerted reply from all of the rooms occupants, even Hercules although he bore a wry grin as he said it.

"Sheesh!" Autolycus shook his head in disbelief.

"You telling me that you're not scared of her?" Toris' grin widened.

"Of course I'm not .. Xena and me have an understanding .. she wouldn't do anything to hurt me .. well not anything too drastic," he answered weakly, "Oh, alright! Yes I'm scared of her too. Does that make you happy to hear it?"

"Smart man," congratulated the raven haired brother of the Warrior Princess.

On the other side of the room, putting as much distance between himself and Autolycus as possible, Iolaus idly sat and threw a pair of dice, his mind on the young bard who had abruptly left the room when she heard the yelling coming from Ephiny's suite.

"Hey Iolaus. What did Gabby shoot outta here so quick for?" asked Joxer, a puzzled frown on his expressive face.

"Search me, Jox, I don't understand women," answered the smaller man.

The wannabe warrior gave him a disbelieving look, "You? Ya gotta be kidding. I thought all the girls loved ya. Nebula certainly seems to."

Iolaus' face reddened and he coughed with embarrassment, "Yeah, well, Nebula likes to play games," he caught the look of appreciation in the other man's eyes, "Not like that!" he protested, "She likes to tease, but there's never been anything between us, she's far to aggressive. Too tall," he mused a soft smile coming unbidden to his face, "I kind of like my women shorter … yeah, with golden hair and green eyes," he said dreamily.

"Hey!" Joxer interrupted him with a frown, "That's my Gabby you're talking about."

The blonde man looked at him in frank disbelief, "Your Gabby!?" he chuckled.

"We're very close," protested Joxer. "I spend a lot of time with her and Xena and, and .. we got this understanding."

"Understanding?" questioned Iolaus beginning to show some concern.

"Well yeah. Not that long ago she was really crazy about me .. even called me 'Pooky'. It was true love." Joxer told him dreamily, relishing the memory of the bard willing to do anything for him.

"Excuse me, but does Gabrielle know that you're saying these things about her. And if she was so hot on you, why does she act as though you're something the dog dragged in?" demanded the blonde man, twinges of jealousy assaulting him, although he knew that what Joxer was saying couldn't be true.

"She was .. we were in love," the wannabe warrior assured him.

"Oh I get it. She must have been hit over the head and lost her memory … her good sense .. her rationality ..." Iolaus rambled. sarcastically.

"No, she didn't get hit in the head .. not unless Draco did it while I was tied up." He thought about it, "Nope. I know Xena said Draco was treating her fine because he'd fallen in love with her too."

The shorter man had a look of incredulity on his face, "Draco? The warlord Draco? Oh c'mon, Joxer, everyone knows that Draco has the hots for Xena."

"Well actually, she was pretty hot for him. She even took my advice and took a cold swim to try and cool herself down," the other man explained ingenuously.

Iolaus snapped his mouth shut when he realised that his jaw was hanging open, "I don't believe this!" he said trying to shake himself out of the nightmare that he felt he must be having.

"Actually," Hercules chimed in from his place on the sofa where he lay reading yet another of Gabrielle's scrolls, "It's all true."

Shooting his partner a disbelieving look, Iolaus protested, "Oh, c'mon Herc. Get real. Xena in love with Draco .. Draco in love with Gabrielle … Gabrielle in love with Joxer. Sounds like a farce, or something that Cupid would dream up." He shook his head, "Nah! Even Cupid wouldn't do that."

"Close, Iolaus. You nearly got it right. Gabrielle told me all about it. Seems like Cupid's son, Bliss, escaped with one of his bows and was shooting at random targets, with the resulting mess that you've just heard from Joxer," the demi-god told him.

The blonde turned back to his foolish looking rival and with a triumphant look on his face laughed, "Ha! I knew that she couldn't be in love with you ... well not under normal circumstances anyway."

"Oh like she's gonna look at you twice when you dangle Nebula in front of her all the time," retorted the sallow skinned man.

"I do not dangle .." snarled Iolaus angrily.

"Well, sure seems that way to me," sneered Joxer, adding, "An' I bet it seems that way to Gabby too."

"Joxer ..." started the small warrior.

"Don't you think you two better get off the subject," interjected Hercules, "before she walks in and hears you." The two men glared at each other before getting up off the floor and retreating to opposite corners of the room.

Autolycus looked up and gave a lazy smile, "I don't know what they're making such a fuss about .. I mean, sure Gabby's a cute kid, but a real woman, well that runs to tall, black hair, lots of leather and pure danger."

"Hey!" growled Hercules as he realised just who the thief was describing, "Back off buddy."

"What? You gonna pull that 'I saw her first' routine? Aw c'mon Herc, you had your chance and let her go. If you can't spot a diamond in the rough, then move over and let someone else have a go," the thief argued. Then swallowed hard as he registered a pair of very blue eyes looking icily into his own.

"That's my sister you're talking about," snarled Toris looking almost as deadly as the Warrior Princess herself. Swallowing again, Autolycus laughed weakly and replied, "That sure does run in the family, doesn't it." Moving away hastily he took up residence in one of the other unoccupied corners while Toris removed himself to the last, wanting as much distance between himself and the thief as he could manage.

And that was how Gabrielle found them when she returned to the suite. One of the men in each of the four corners of the room and Hercules in the centre. All had dark scowls on their faces and the atmosphere was thick enough to cut with a knife. The bard sighed and then muttered, "Men are such big kids!" she glowered at each of them before saying, "Can't you children get along for five minutes without arguing." That got her five black looks so she decided to retreat and rejoin Ephiny and Eponin, "Alright, you can all stew until you can act like adults," she scolded slamming the door behind her.

The five men looked at the door, then offered sheepish glances to each other before they broke into gales of laughter, releasing some of the pent up tension that had accumulated during their long wait.

Caesar's brown eyes smoldered as he ran his eyes over the imposing figure of the Warrior Princess. He had watched her rapid recovery, from the inflicted punishments she had earned for her escape attempt at sea, with grudging amazement, even though he was well aware of just how fast she healed. He noted, with a practised, professional eye, that the training she had been doing in the Coliseum had returned her to her former sleek fighting fitness. He also registered the fact that any semblance of proper behaviour in a slave had vanished.

He turned his gaze on Titus, "Alright centurion, what happened out there?"

Looking unwaveringly just above his commanders head, Titus replied, "Sir, the guards reported that the slave made an escape attempt, sir."

A derisive snort came from Xena, causing Caesar's eyes to flick back towards her and then onto Flaccus who slashed his staff across the small of her back, causing her to release a hiss that seemed to be more of annoyance than pain. Caesar turned his attention back to the junior centurion, "Carry on, Titus," he commanded.

"I don't know what happened, sir, but I don't think it was an attempt to escape, she wouldn't have carried one of those rocks with her for that."

"What about if she intended to use it for a weapon?" remarked the Roman noble casually, switching his gaze back to Xena to judge her reaction. Her eyes burned with a feral intensity as they met his. He had little doubt that she could have used the rock to deadly effect, unwieldy as it was, but if she could slip the guards so easily, she could have filched a dagger or some other, more serviceable, weapon to use.

"I doubt that it would have been much use to her, sir," answered Titus, "but when I questioned her about what was happening, she came up with some cock and bull story about being visited by one of the gods, sir!"

Caesar leaned forward in his chair and stared at her intently, "Which god?" he asked, fully aware of the burning blue light that seemed to kindle in his captive's eyes.

Unsure whether the Emperor was asking him the question, Titus elected to respond, "She didn't say, sir."

"Which god?" asked the dark haired Roman once again, his eyes never leaving the Warrior Princess'.

She offered him a dazzling smile, "Go howl!" she told him sweetly.

He sat back and studied her with serious regard before saying, "Oh no. I think it will be your little bard friend doing the howling," he informed her maliciously.

Xena took a half step forward before the guards tightened their holds on her restraints and halted her, "It won't work any more, Julius," she growled softly, "Unless you put Gabrielle in front of me so I can see her, I won't believe you have her .. and without her there's nothing you can do to make me obey you." She expected the series of heavy blows from Flaccus' staff, hiding any pain she felt and widening her smile into a savage grin that was an obvious challenge to her tormentors.

"Enough," ordered Caesar, not wanting to cause her too much damage; he needed her in prime condition. He tapped the fingers of his hands together thoughtfully, - I need another lever against her, - he decided. Locking eyes with her once more he spoke to Flaccus, "Senior centurion, how many child slaves between the ages of five and fourteen summers do we have in the palace at this time."

It wasn't really the grizzled veteran's place to know such information, but he'd familiarized himself with all the palace slaves for future reference, at Caesar's suggestion, when they had first returned to Rome, "Eight, my Lord," he returned promptly, "three boys and five girls."

"You wouldn't," hissed Xena, wrenching violently at her fetters, almost succeeding in pulling loose from her guards, before they managed to bring her under control once more.

"Oh, but I would .. and I will," he assured her contemptuously, "I've told you before that your emotions are your weakness. It's what's going to make you tractable." He leaned forward once more, resting his elbows on his desk, "Now, which god?" he demanded.

"Go to Hades," she snarled.

"Titus, round up all the children, in the palace, between the ages of five and fourteen and have them assembled in the drill-yard. Once you've got them all, give them each three lashes, compliments of the Warrior Princess," he instructed his tone quite emotionless and cold.

"Caesar," growled the raven haired warrior as she struggled against the men holding her, her incredible strength beginning to strain even all six of her guards resources.

Seeing his men beginning to falter, Flaccus kicked the woman hard in the backs of her legs, forcing her to her knees. He flicked a silent command to a guard at the door and half a dozen more men were quickly summoned to reinforce the hold on her restraints.

Long moments drew out as the protagonists waited for each other to back down, But it was Xena, knowing that her position was untenable and sure that Hercules and Ephiny had a rescue plan in motion, who forced herself to give in to him once again. She couldn't stomach the thought of children being flogged because of her, - And I don't owe Ares a damned thing! - she silently snarled. "Call him off Caesar," she growled, "I'll tell you what you want to know."

The smirking Roman noble stood and went to the window that overlooked the drill-yard. He waited until the sound of childish fright could be heard clearly by everyone in the room and then made a cutting signal to Titus. Occasional whimpers could still be heard, but there was no sound of the vicious lash striking out. Caesar turned back to face his slave, "Now I believe you were about to tell me which god visited with you."

"I want your word that those children won't be harmed," demanded Xena, knowing just how slippery her foe was.

"Oh, Xena," he answered shaking his head in disappointment, "Don't you trust me?" he smirked.

"You gotta be kidding!" she answered in disbelief.

He gave her a foul look, before waving his hand in a magnanimous gesture, "Very well, you have my word that the children will not be harmed." When she looked like pressing further he added sternly, "Don't push it too far … slave!"

The Warrior Princess held his gaze for long moments before she dipped her head in acknowledgement and told him, "Ares came."

Caesar sank back into his chair with a glower plastered across his handsome features, "And just what did Mars want."

Her eyes twinkled mirthlessly and lips compressed into a hard line before she answered, "Just the usual .. swear your soul away and I'll get you out of this little fix and together we can rule the world! Same ol, same ol."

"Since you're still here, I take it you declined his offer," the Roman surmised.

Her face turned to stone and her icy eyes radiated pure, frozen, menace, "Believe me, Julius, there is nothing you could do to me here that would make me give myself back to him."

"Hmm. Well I'm sure that I couldn't do anything to further scar that soul of yours. But believe me, Xena," he said with total sincerity, "I can and will make your life a living agony .. yours and those children out there," he gestured towards the window, "If you give me or any of your guards trouble. In fact to impress this upon you, I think you can watch as Titus gives the little .. innocents .. those three lashes each, on your way back to the rock pile .. You can spend the night taking out your frustrations moving those stones."

"You bastard!" her dark voice rumbled with barely restrained emotion, "You treacherous, bastard. You gave your word!" She grunted with pain as Flaccus drove his fist into her jaw.

"You have so much to learn, Xena. But you really should have realised that the ruler of Rome's promise to a slave is meaningless. You have no rights or position here, other than what I choose to give you." He shook his head in mock sorrow at having to explain it to her.

Turning his attention to the senior centurion he said, "Flaccus, I suggest that you keep the leg restraints on her from now on when she's moving those rocks. A couple of men on each chain should discourage her if that was indeed an escape attempt. Now take her down to the drill-yard and make sure that she watches all of those slaves beaten before you put her back to work."

- By the gods! - raged Xena silently, - One day .. one day I'll make you understand what it is to feel pain ... and then I'll kill you! -