The Amazon Regent had managed to pry the innkeeper away from her son and daughter for long enough to arrange accommodation for Eponin, Sheraya and two guards, insisting on paying even though the grateful Cyrene was adamant that she would be happy to host the Amazons for all they had done to help rescue her daughter and Gabrielle.

"Really Cyrene, I wouldn't dream of it," Ephiny told her firmly. "Amazons pay their way in the world."

"Especially since the Amazon treasury has just come into something of a Roman windfall," commented Gabrielle from the table where she sat with Xena and Toris, drinking cold mugs of cider.

"But ...." the elder woman started to protest.

"We're grateful for the offer, Cyrene," the Regent assured her, "But Queen Gabrielle is right. You run a business here and we're more than happy to pay for your hospitality." She gave the woman a considering looking, recognising the stubborn set to her jaw, realising exactly from whom Xena got her tenacious willpower and decided she had better come up with a compromise, "However, should some Amazon be in need of a meal and a roof at some time, I would be grateful for any aid you see fit to extend," she said with a warm smile.

"But of course," the innkeeper enthused strongly, realising that she was being offered a way to accept the situation without being seen to back down .. a compromise of sorts. "Any Amazon that passes through Amphipolis will always be welcome here."

Ephiny smiled warmly at Cyrene's declaration and extended an invitation, in return, "Should you ever venture towards Themiscyra, know that you will always be well received there." The Regent then turned towards the two women seated at the table, "I'd like to say that this adventure has been fun, but on the whole I think I'd rather deal with a string of domestic conflicts than have to deal with any of that again." She rested a hand lightly on her stomach, "I have a lot to think about resulting from this .. I hope you will both be able to be with me for the birth, I'll send you a message when it's time."

Gabrielle stood and threw herself into a fierce hug from her friend, "Thank you for coming after us, Eph. It really means a lot to me .. to both of us .. to know that we can count on you."

"Anytime, Gabrielle," answered Ephiny returning the hug in kind, then added in a whisper, "Just try keeping tall, dark and deadly out of trouble for a while, huh? There's only so much excitement us poor Amazons can take."

While Gabrielle and her Regent had been saying their farewells, Xena had risen and moved around the table to stand at the bard's shoulder, "I heard that Ephiny," she said wryly, startling the pair out of the hug.

"Good," returned the blonde Amazon with a laugh as she released Gabrielle and turned her attention to the dark warrior. "Maybe you'll give it a try then," she said as she held out a hand ready to clasp her friend's arm in a warrior salute, almost squeaking in surprise as Xena took it and pulled her into a brief hug.

"I always try, Eph ... but I have this little bard who seems to attract all the trouble going," she quirked a lopsided grin.

"Hey!" growled Gabrielle as she threw a light backhand into the warrior's arm, "I resemble that remark," she smirked.

"Keep in touch. We won't be able to see you until the child is due ... as long as there aren't any complications," she told her making it clear that if she was needed that exile or no, she would come at her friend's call. "But write and let us know that all is well. I'll be there to make sure that you and the baby come through the birth okay?" she told the Amazon warmly.

"I can't expect you to do that, Xena," Ephiny told her seriously, "The council would have a collective fit, and I don't know what they would, or could, rule if you should break the exile order," she grinned, "At least until I have time to look it up in the law scrolls."

Returning the serious look with one of her own the warrior told her, "Hey we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. If the pregnancy goes well, then my period of exile will be over and I'll be able to be there to deliver the baby ... Can't have someone else bringing Xenan's little brother or sister into the world now, can I?"

Not knowing what to say, the Regent contented herself with a grateful look, "You take care of our Queen .. and yourself, you hear me? I don't want to tell Xenan that his favourite aunts ...." she left that unfinished and the Warrior Princess could see a suspiciously moist gleam in the Regent's eyes.

"Take care of yourself, Eph ... watch your back," she warned, not liking the situation building amongst the Amazon factions.

"No problems," agreed the curly haired blonde with something of a grimace, before she gave Gabrielle a final quick hug and headed for the door with a wave.

Xena and the bard exchanged looks. Both were concerned about the Amazon situation. They knew that ordinarily, Ephiny was, normally, more than capable of handling it .. especially with the capable help of both Solari and Eponin .. however, with a large percentage of the loyal guards returning in a state of pregnancy, and with the Regent herself expecting, things might become more than a little tense back in Themiscyra.

"Do you think ...." began Gabrielle.

The warrior shook her head, "She knows to call us if she needs help ... there's not a lot more we can do for now .. you need to trust her to cope with this."

"I do!" protested the honey blonde indignantly, "It's just I can't help being worried .. I'm Queen and a lot of Eph's problems stem from me."

"I know, Gabrielle .. I know," agreed the Warrior Princess, also knowing that an equal amount of blame could be laid at her door ... most of the Amazons did not like her. - Oh they respect me, - she mused, - They're just scared to death of me! So Gabrielle and Ephiny suffer by association. - She shook her head taking to herself responsibility and blame for her friend's troubles. Looking down at the blonde by her side she said, "C'mon, bard. Mother's dying to find out just what has been happening to us .. just try not to scare her too much, huh?"

Gabrielle looked up into the clear blue eyes of the warrior, "Yeah, yeah .. I know. Keep it simple," she breathed as they returned to their seats, accepting the mugs of golden cider that the innkeeper pushed in their direction and waited, with an assumed patient look, to be told of their latest adventure.

Hercules, Iolaus and Autolycus had accompanied the Amazons and Joxer up to the inn and the demi-god and his sidekick had helped settle the injured wannabe warrior into the room that Cyrene had shown them to, while Sheraya made sure that the grumbling Eponin was comfortable in the one adjoining. Ephiny had poked her head around the door and bid them a friendly goodbye after she had made sure that the healer, her patient and two guards had everything that they needed.

As the door closed, the son of Zeus spotted the glum look on Joxer's face, "Hey!" he said drawing the man's attention.

"Hmm?" came the distracted reply.

"It might never happen, you know," chided Hercules gently.

Iolaus let out a short bark of laughter, "Think you're a bit late with that one, Herc!" he grinned rapping his knuckle against the wood splinting the injured man's legs.

"Hey!" objected Joxer in a hurt tone.

"Cut it out Iolaus," reprimanded the demi-god.

"I was only pulling his leg," grinned the blonde. "Get it? Pulling his leg!"

"Ha, ha!" growled a distinctly unamused Joxer.

"Oh c'mon! We need to cheer up here," laughed Iolaus lightly, "I mean we just bearded the lion in his den and got out to tell the tale. We're home, we're pretty much safe and, alright there are some injuries, but all in all we got ...."

"Iolaus!" interrupted Hercules strongly.

"Hmm? Yeah what's up?" asked his friend with unfeigned innocence.

"Why don't you .. go and talk to Autolycus for a while."

The blonde frowned, "Why would I want to talk to Autolycus?" he grumbled.

"Because I asked you to," the son of Zeus told him levelly.

"You asked ..." he started as Hercules cocked his head towards the miserable looking man in the bed, "Oh yeah .. right. Well I do need to ask him .. um .. yeah ask him about that .. um .. tavern up in Philippi .. yeah that's it," he fudged uncertainly.

"Well?" asked the demi-god.

"Hmm?" responded his sidekick with a lost look on his face.

"Autolycus?" prompted the hero, gesturing towards the door.

"Oh. Yeah. Right," he mumbled. "I'll see you guys in a bit."

Hercules watched as his friend left the room muttering under his breath as he did so. Once the door closed behind him, the big man turned his attention back to Joxer who lay back on the bed staring moodily at the well kept plaster covering the room's ceiling. Drawing a breath, the demi-god gathered a chair, from where it stood against the wall, before taking it to where he could sit alongside the bed. The silence dragged for a while as he thought about how to tackle what was wrong with the injured man.

Selecting and discarding several ideas, the big man finally decided that the direct approach was probably the best option, "You want to tell me what's bothering you?" he asked.

At first he didn't think that Joxer was going to answer him as he continued to stare up at the blank ceiling. "You'll think that I'm being stupid," he said at last, "Not that you probably don't already .. everyone else does. Joxer the Mighty ... what a joke!"

"Hey!" barked Hercules, drawing the injured man's attention to him,"I happen to know that man saved a child's life not so long ago .. I don't think he's a joke, neither does the girl and nor do his friends."

"You're just saying that," answered Joxer, flatly.

Hercules shook his head in perplexity, "Look Joxer, what's really up with you? I know it's not this hero stuff, because you've been around long enough to know that we all care for you more than that."

The other man looked at the demi-god with soulful brown eyes, "It's just that ..."

"Yes?" questioned the demi-god when he realised that the injured man wasn't going to continue.

Joxer shook his head blinking back the tears that threatened to fall, "It's just that now this is all over, everyone will be leaving .. except me. I've got a pair of broken legs and I don't even know when I'll be able to meet up with Xena and Gabby again .. sometimes .. sometimes .. I get lonely, ya know?"

Hercules laid a big hand on the other man's shoulder, "You can be with people and still get lonely, Joxer," he said with feeling. "But, if you really want to catch up with Xena and Gabrielle, then you have all the incentive in the world to make sure that you get your legs in shape as quickly as possible."

"It's going to take forever," huffed the wannabe warrior.

"Well from what I heard Sheraya saying it'll be another fourteen days or so before you'll be out of those splints, then you'll have to work on strengthening your legs and get them back to fitness .. but if you do the exercises you should be able to get back on the road within twenty-five days. It's just a matter of thinking positively."

"Ya think so?" Joxer perked up.

"Yeah," assured the demi-god.

"Can you show me some of the exercises I need to do?" he asked eagerly.

Hercules nodded, having guessed that would be coming, "I'll show you a few and write some down for you to do when you get a bit stronger," he promised.

"Okay," grinned Joxer.

The big man sighed, "You want me to show you some now?" he queried knowing the likely answer.

"Sure," agreed the injured man amiably, grabbing onto something that gave him hope in his recovery.

"Oh boy!" muttered Hercules as he proceeded to demonstrate some simple exercises that would speed the recovery of Joxer's limbs.

Iolaus wandered off fairly aimlessly. He knew that talking to Autolycus in the thief's present frame of mind wasn't a really good idea, and so he naturally enough found himself heading for the bar where Xena, Gabrielle and Toris were explaining the outlines of their adventure to Cyrene .. well at least Gabrielle was telling the tale and Toris was adding the occasional comment. Xena on the other hand was just leaning back and listening with uneasy attention.

Sliding into a spare place on the bench next to Toris, the hunter gratefully accepted the mug of cider that Cyrene pressed upon him and listened to the bard spin her tale. Pretty soon he was caught up in it, and adding comments of his own as the story touched upon areas he had lived through.

Cyrene sat through this mixed up in an emotional turmoil of distress at what had happened to her daughter and her partner; she needed to know, but at the same time it pained her to hear what they had endured .. and she could tell that much was being left out of the recital. Once she had Toris alone she would get him to reveal the details that were being kept back.

The bard managed to get half way through her recitation of events, accepting and incorporating the occasional comment from Toris and Iolaus, and was aware of both the tense anxiety on Cyrene's face and the stoic mask assumed by Xena, when they were interrupted by the arrival of Patroclese, Nebula and the ex-slave boys (the girls having left with the Amazons to start their new lives). She gave them a wave as they gathered over at another table and were served food and drink by Tryphena the inn's waitress.

As Gabrielle turned back to her tale, she missed the entrance of a large group of men on the heels of their friends. However, she didn't fail to notice the stiffening of her partner as the men marched purposefully up to their table, the leader glaring hatefully at Xena who merely arched an eyebrow in return.

"What do you want here, Tomas?" demanded Toris a tinge of anger in his tone.

"Her!" snapped the tall, painfully thin man with a pock marked face, staring balefully at the dark warrior.

"For what?" growled Cyrene protectively, "She's done nothing ...."

"Oh really? Just because old Garrick let her come and go, heedless of her past crimes against this town and it's people, doesn't mean that I will," he stormed.

"Xena isn't like that anymore," interjected the bard noticing that both Nebula and Patroclese were approaching and that Autolycus had come in through the kitchens from wherever he'd been lurking.

"That doesn't make any difference, girl .. it's time she paid for her sins. Besides as head magistrate it's my duty to take into custody runaways when they're found in the precincts of Amphipolis!" he sneered, reaching out a hand to finger the strange collar around her neck.

His hand never made the contact, "Keep that to yourself .. unless you want to lose it!" advised the dark warrior with a dangerous growl as her hand closed crushingly around his wrist, squeezing until he felt his bones beginning to grate together.

Tomas was unable to stop his yelp of surprise and pain, not having even seen the lounging woman move. He tried to draw his hand free and found it held immobile in a vice like grip, "Let me go, dammit!" he swore struggling.

Xena quirked a playful smirk and enquired, "You want it?" feeling the town headman increase his attempt at pulling his hand free. When his somewhat under developed muscles were fully employed she released him saying distinctly, "Ya got it!" and watched as he smashed himself in the nose with his own fist propelled by the force of his straining muscles. It didn't hurt as much as it would have done if Xena had punched him, but it was far more humiliating for him.

As soon as he'd recovered, he wiped the blood away from his nose, smearing it across the back of his hand, "Don't just stand there," he told the men behind him, "Arrest her .. and the girl!"

The fifteen men moved forward a pace, a couple of them brandishing manacles. Xena felt an irrational clenching of her bowels as she saw the irons and a low growl began to emanate from deep within her, "If you want to keep your arms attached to your bodies .. BACK OFF!" she snarled.

Seeing the dangerous woman's eyes alight with a dark fire, the militia men immediately took one step back, none of them anxious to face her ire, many of them still had memories of the lumps and bruises that she gave them when they were children. She had garnered an impressive reputation as a child, and that had simply grown along with her over the years.

"I said arrest them!" seethed Tomas, who also remembered the thrashings he'd received at the young Xena's hands, particularly one that had left him with broken bones after he'd dared to say something far from complimentary about her mother. That beating still rankled after all these years and he was not above using his new power and position in the community to finally exact his revenge.

"Tomas," interrupted Toris, in a tone that told everyone that he was trying to keep his temper in check, "It's not going to happen. Xena doesn't want any trouble and she'll be leaving town in a few days time. The past is the past, and those collars belong to a Roman dictator .. and as far as I remember the writ of Rome does not run in Greece, or even here in Amphipolis. So why don't you and the others just ... GET THE TARTARUS OUT OF MY MOTHERS INN!"

There was stunned silence from everyone in the bar room as the dark haired man's voice seemed to haunt the rafters with a threatening echo. Tomas looked like a goldfish gasping for air as his mouth opened and shut with nothing emerging. To say he was stunned would be a gross understatement. He'd always considered his childhood friend, Toris, to be somewhat spineless and easily ignored, but since he'd come back to Amphipolis, the first time and even more so on this second return, he appeared to be exhibiting a commanding disposition that had hitherto been more associated with his Ares cursed sister.

When the silence had dragged on for what seemed candlemarks rather than a few heartbeats, a low purring voice filtered into the tensely hung atmosphere, "I'd do like he said boys," the dark warrior advised. "You all remember me. You don't want to make me mad, do ya?" It was a mildly asked question, but it had the desired effect of having the militia men scrambling for the exit, leaving their erstwhile leader alone facing a potentially hostile group consisting of a mixed bag of heroes, rogues, medics and a few sundry others ... including one irate mother who was having to be restrained by a bard.

Tomas finally found his tongue, "Have a care what you do, Toris," he warned. "Your Tartarus spawned bitch of a sister won't be able to protect you if she's locked up or has been thrown out of town!"

"You have no warrants, so you have no right to detain her," snarled Toris angrily. "You also have no right to TRY and chase her from Amphipolis. Given my sister's reputation are you really sure you want to threaten either her or her family?"

"She won't stay here for long," jeered the head man. "You can't count on her 'protection'," he all but spat the word.

Before her brother could issue a retort, Xena stepped menacingly in front of him, "That's enough!" she snapped. "If you have a problem with me, that's fine. I can fight my own battles, and you're right .. I won't be here long. But if you're going to threaten my family, I may have to take steps to protect their security when I leave, you get me?" she demanded her eyes boring menacingly into his.

"Xena!" Gabrielle and Cyrene spoke together in concern.

"I asked if you understood?" growled the raven haired woman, ignoring her mother and the bard.

Tomas looked into feral blue eyes that crackled with icy anger. His arrogance and desire for vengeance had sustained his meagre courage up until this point .. that and the fact that it was widely reputed that the Warrior Princess had changed and softened. But looking into her cold eyes, he saw the wolf that lay barely leashed. His bowels turned to water and it was all he could do not to pee his pants as he stood there willing himself not to shake. Finally, when it looked like she was running out of patience, he stammered, "Y-y-yes! I understand."

"Good," she almost purred, "Oh and don't even think about causing them trouble when I'm gone because you'll regret the day you were born if you do .. you got that?" she demanded.

He nodded shakily, wanting to be away from the woman he was rapidly remembering to categorize as being a homicidal maniac. Without his militia to back him up, Tomas was like all bullies .. a coward when confronted by something or someone who could stand up to him.

"Alright," she sneered at him, "Now get your snivelling carcass out of here."

He backed up a couple of steps before turning to run after his men. Xena resisted the gnawing temptation to add a boot to the seat of his pants to hurry him along, although she really wanted to take out some anger on someone. With the inn returning to something like normalcy, she decided that some time alone, - Maybe in a nice hot bath, - might just do her the power of good.

"Mother, while Gabrielle finishes filling you in on things, would it be alright if I used the bath house?" she asked turning around to face Cyrene.

"Of course, little one," smiled the elder woman gently, "I'm sure your brother will be happy to help you with the water and I'll bring you in some fresh linens in a little while."

"Thanks, Mother," responded Xena appreciatively heading for the kitchen to start preparing the hot water that the bath would require.