Title: All I Ask

Author: Xandria

Rating: 15+ kissing and violence is referred to

Fandom: Xena: Warrior Princess

Pairings: Strife/Joxer

Feedback: Yeah baby!

E-mail: xandria1969@yahoo.com.au

Spoilers: Hind Trilogy, Dahak, Livia {no Twilight}

Summary: A long long time ago in a Galaxy far, far away... no, wait, wrong story. There was a challenge was put ages ago somewhere for a song fic. So here's one with an Andrew Lloyd Webber song, 'All I ask of you' from Phantom of the Opera. The original lyrics have Raul and Christine singing a love duet, but my story is a Joxer / Strife duet

Archive: Yes. Let me know where though so I can go look

Notes: No Twilight of the Gods occurred before, during or after the writing of this story. And I'm fiddling with the timeline a bit, Strife died two years before Xena and Gabrielle disappeared.

Warnings: Death story

Archive: Yes. Let me know where though so I can go look

Website: http://members.tripod.co.uk/macgregor/index.html

Disclaimers: Other people own them all (Sob!) Renaissance Pictures and all that have them. The music is by Lloyd-Webber and lyrics by Charles Hart. No infringement intended, only sincere forms of flattery by imitation. Don't sue, I just finished university and am jobhunting. I own a broken clarinet, a twenty five-year-old car worth less than my clarinet, even broken, and I live with my parents, so you wouldn't get much.


All I Ask
by Xandria

R: No more talk of darkness
Forget these wide eyed fears.
I'm here, nothing can harm you -
My words will warm and calm you.

Let me be your freedom,
Let daylight dry your tears,
I'm here, with you, beside you,
To guard you and to guide you...

C: Say you love me every waking moment,
Turn my head with talk of summertime...

Say you need me with you, now and always...
Promise me that all you say is true - that's all I ask
of you...

R: Let me be your shelter,
Let me be your light.
You're safe: no one will find you -
Your fears are far behind you...

C: All I want is freedom, a world with no more
night...
And you, always beside me,
To hold me and to hide me...

R: then say you'll share with me one love, one
lifetime...
Let me lead you from your solitude...

Say you need me with you here, beside you...
Anywhere you go, let me go too - Christine, that's all
I ask of you...

C: Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime...
Say the word and I will follow you...

BOTH: Share each day with me, each night, each
morning...

C: Say you love me...

R: You know I do...

BOTH: Love me - that's all I ask of you...

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

Joxer opened his eyes and looked around him. He remembered going out to make one last stand...to help Gabby and Xena one more time...and then, nothing.

What was this place? A large hall, a throne, a God sitting on it staring at him...

Wait a minute, a God?! He'd never seen him before so how did he know it was a god sitting there?

"All that are mine instinctively know me, Joxer." A rich, deep voice, and looking up, Joxer saw a pale, handsome face and deep, deep eyes...

"All of yours? But I don't even know who you are."

"Don't you?" Joxer looked around again. Oh. He realised who the god was alright. That would explain why all of a sudden his back didn't hurt any more and he could see clearly for the first time in years.

"Lord Hades?" He nodded his head.

"Joxer the Mighty..."

"You know me?"

"Of course I do. I know all those who enter my realm. You even more, of course."

"What? I mean, why?" The God of the Underworld sighed.

"Once my nephew got over being here, he has been quite useful to me, a delight in helping me. Except for two things."

"Oh?" Why was Hades telling him this?

"Because it concerns you. Yes, I can read your thoughts, but only as they are so clear. The first reason is because he's Mischief...and my realm is not exactly the appropriate place for that."

"The second reason is you. He missed you. So for twenty seven years I have had to put up with his sighs, his stories about the two of you together, and his pranks when he got bored." A giggle seemed to echo around the hall and Strife appeared, coming into sight from somewhere behind Hades' throne.

"Aw, c'mon, Unc, you ain't sayin' ya didn't have fun too at times?" Hades smiled fondly at his nephew. Strife no longer wore the leather suit Joxer remembered, but black leather pants topped with a wine red velvet shirt instead, both skin tight and showing
the trimly muscled body underneath.

"I'm not saying that. But Charon dressed in one of your mother's outfits and singing love songs is something I will never forget, no matter how hard I try."

"Whatevah. Hey Jox. Miss me?" Joxer stared at his former lover. Strife looked so good. Tears sprang to his eyes.

"Oh Strife. I did. I missed you so much." The God of Mischief hugged Joxer, smiling at him.

"Hey hey, no tears. I'm here, you're here, and I'll make sure that nuthin' gets near ya again! Hear what I'm sayin? Ya ain't alone any longer, and I'll look aftah ya Jox."

"I want to hear the words. You never did say them when we were alive. Do you need me, now and forever? I just want to hear you say it." Jox looked into Strife's eyes and they stared at one another, in wonder.

"Let me be your shelter, brighten your day. 'Cause you're safe now, no one will find ya and hurt ya evah again, ya don't evah have ta be afraid again."

"All I want is to be free, no more darkness, and you, Strife, beside me, to hold onto and to hide with."

"All ya have to do is say the words, Jox. One love, a lifetime, more, let me take you away from tha loneliness. Do ya still need me with ya? I want ta be with ya everywhere, Jox, do it all. If ya give me anything, let me have this one thing."

"Just say the words, Strife. One love, a lifetime, more. And I'll go with you anywhere, any place, any time."

"Do ya really wanna do this? Be with me each night, each morning?"

"Each night and each morning? Yeah, I want to share it all with you. Just say it, Strife. Do you love me?"

"Ya know I do! And all I want is for you to love me back."

"That's all I want, too. And to be with you, go with you everywhere."

"Everywhere sounds good ta me too..."

"Enough already!" They turned around to stare at Hades in surprise, having forgotten he was there. "Just go, will you?"

"Go? But I'm dead!" Joxer exclaimed.

"Well, sorta, no. See, I did my bit for Unc and coulda left years ago. And when I heard what ya had ta do I did more so you could go with me. Anywhere ya go I go too...and Hades didn't really want me ta hang around any longer after finishing...so he agreed ta let ya go." Joxer stared at the Lord of the Underworld, who was scowling and glaring unconvincingly at his nephew.

He smiled up at him, radiantly, and Hades smiled back before schooling his expression into a neutral mask once more.

"Really? How can I ever thank you?"

"Go away and never come back." At Joxer's hurt look Hades amended it. "To the Hall of the Dead, Joxer. You and Strife are welcome to visit...later."

The God of Mischief whooped and grabbed Joxer before dematerializing. They reappeared at his old temple, the only one he had. Joxer looked around and stopped, wrinkling his nose at the musty, unused smell. Strife, busy moving them into his bedroom, pouted at him.

"What?!"

"Umm," Joxer stared around. How could he tell his love that the smell was putting him off? Strife wrinkled his nose as well, a sick look on his face.

"Ewww, what is that?"

"Your temple..."

"It stinks. I asked Mom ta air it out for me. She sucks as a housekeeper. Shoulda asked Aunt Hestia. C'mon." Strife held his arms out and Joxer snuggled into them again. They disappeared again and reappeared this time in a bedroom. It was the same style as his temple, but was clean and smelt fresh.

"Where are we?"

"Unc's place. My room. Olympus."

"Olympus?! But I thought mortals..."

"Ooops."

"Ooops?! Is that 'Ooops guess we'll be seeing Hades again real soon or..."

"Na. Ya ain't mortal, Jox. See, Hades said if ya said yes, unconditionally, he would make it permanent and make ya immortal." Joxer gaped at his grinning lover.

Then he smiled. And began to advance on Strife. Strife began to back away, not sure he liked the glint in his lover's eyes.

"Jox? Jox!? Oooof!" Joxer picked him up and threw him on the bed. "Ooooo, Joxerrrr."


End.
Hey I said it was a song fic, not a PWP.

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