By kirasmommy

Disclaimer:I don't own them I don't make money from them, but boy do I wish I could.

Autolycus almost had it. It was almost in his hands as he reached just a little further out to grasp it. He thought to himself "This would be a little easier if it wasn't so damn cold." his hands shook as he picked the lock of the box that was suspended in midair. He was in the snowqueen's palace high in the mountains were winter stayed forever. The entire palace was made of ice it was lovely but haunting in it's beauty. The cold gave an ugly aspect to the environment. He had snuck in when she left with her wolves to travel the countryside for more slaves. Slaves didn't last long in her employ though it was unknown if they simply froze to death slowly or if they were tortured to death.

Autolycus was after the one thing they said she treasured and many so called "investors" had expressed and interest in it. It was a mirror made of eternal ice. Ice that was said to stay frozen even in Hades home.

Finally the stubborn lock opened and Autolycus grabbed the bundle inside.

He was at a dead run as he jumped down and out of the palace.

He made camp sometime later when he was sure he was away from her domain.

It was still chilly here but no snow or ice. Suddenly he heard some singing

"I'm Joxer the mighty......." Autolycus hid his newest "find" under some blankets. Joxer broke into the clearing. Autolycus smiled as he said stopping Joxer in mid word."I know you're Joxer....Hercules has mentioned you before.....I'm Autolycus King of theives and friend of Hercules."he said as he held out his hand.

"King of thieves huh I've heard of you too Xena mentioned you a few times. Look it's kinda cold around here may I share your fire tonight?"

"Yeah I guess."He said distracted thinking about the mirror."What brings you to this area it's away from where Xena and her friend usually travel."

"I know, Xena sent me to give this message to Hercules. I'm begining to think she just wanted to get rid of me I haven't been able to find him anywhere."he said as he warmed his hands by the fire.

"Oh he's around, I'll take you there tomorrow."Autolycus always kept tabs on where the demigod was. That way there was less of a chance that he would bust him before a score.

"That would be most helpful thank-you."

They talked a good deal of the night. Autolycus discovered that Joxer wasn't all that bad he was just misguided a lot of times.

The next day it wasn't too long of a trek to Hercules camp. When Hercules and Iolaus saw the two of them together they both looked suddenly put upon.

Hercules turned to Iolaus and said "See It can get worse."

Joxer gave Hercules the message which turned out to be something to the effect of "Hi How are ya doing? It's your turn to babysit Joxer. We need a vacation."

Hercules and Iolaus was not amused. Hercules took Autolycus away from camp to talk privately about bring Joxer to them in the future while Joxer and Iolaus broke camp. Just as the got out of the clearing they heard the sound of glass or crystal breaking. Autolycus's heart went to his throat he just knew what had broke. He ran back to the clearing as Hercules followed close on his heels.

The dark glass ice laid shattered on the ground the vegetation shriveling under it as it died. Iolaus held one of his eyes as quiet tears of pain came out the other. Joxer quietly stood there holding his hand over his heart. A shard of the ice mirror had entered each of them.

Hercules went to Iolaus and pried his hand off his eye to look. As he watched the shard became a part of his eye and the pain faded. Autolycus stood over the mirror shattered on the ground and watched as that too was absorbed into the ground leaving that area forever barren of life. He walked over to Joxer "Are you all right?"

Joxer looked at him and frowned "Does it matter? Life is a Joke don't you know that?"

Autolycus gasped "Oh no"

They discovered that if Iolaus looked out his normal eye he saw normal but to look out his iced eye he saw an ugly version of the world. When he looked out both eyes the world was bland.

They told Hercules that as they were breaking camp Joxer went to gather Autolycus's stuff, the mirror fell out and shattered. Hercules turned to Autolycus and lifted him up by the shirt, "Where did you find that Mirror?"

"Sn-sn-s-s-snow Queen's palace Herc I can't breathe."

Hercules dropped him, "You stole that from the Snow Queen? Are you stupid? She uses that mirror to bewitch her slaves and to look at a warped version of the world."

"I know but they were willing to pay big dinars for it."

"We are going to the Snow Queen's and see if she can cure them. All of us."He looked at Autolycus for meaning.

The hike up the mountain was uneventful except for the fact that Autolycus had to lead Joxer by the hand if he let go Joxer just stopped and sat down not interested in doing anything other than breathing and not a whole lot interested in doing that to tell the truth. At night they stopped to camp. It was bitterly cold up this far into the Snow Queen's domain and Iolaus and Hercules huddled together for warmth or at least that is what they said. Autolycus had a feeling that wasn't the case particularly when you heard muffled sounds at night when they thought everyone was asleep. They never realized that Autolycus only lived on a few hours sleep every night. The product of always being on the run. As he listened to Hercules and Iolaus's nightly revels he found himself becoming aroused. He thought to himself. "I wish they would hurry up. I can't stand it." He looked over at Joxer who slept so soundly that at first Autolycus thought he had passed away in his sleep. He turned quietly to him and was about to shake him to see when Joxer took a breath. Autolycus looked into Joxers face and studied it. "It's a shame"he thought to himself "He is so angelic asleep" He tentively reached out a hand and stroked the still face. It was so cold to the touch. The sounds across the way were climbing to a muffled higher pitch as Autolycus looked over there for a minute and then back at Joxer. "Poor guy thinks he's in love with Xena's partner. I wonder what he would say if he found out who exactly warmed her bed at night."he thought as he once again stroked Joxers face.

The couple across from him were done as murmured words were spoken he quickly laid down put he snuggled closer to Joxer. He never went back to sleep that night.

The rest of the trip Autolycus led an unresisting Joxer up the rest of the mountain this time with one hand on his back and the other holding his hand. He tried to utter words of encouragement but Joxer never spoke unless he had to.

When they reached the palace the doors opened for them. They followed the path of opening doors into the throne room where the mirror had originally been stolen.

"WHERE IS MY MIRROR? I sense it among you."

Hercules stepped forward and addressed the icy beauty in front of him. "It was broken the pieces you sense are shards that have been absorbed by our friend's. We have come here to see if you knew a cure to the effects."

"A cure? Why would I know a cure? I have never broken my mirror before and any effects that I have used has always been on purpose never to be reversed. I know no cure. But these two will make good slaves."She said as she went down among them. She stopped by Iolaus and stroked his arm. "Yes he will do nicely" as she moved her hand down to his ass and stroked it.

The places that she touched froze for a second leaving a kind of frost bite. Hercules and Autolycus both realized then how the slaves all died as they realized she took no female slaves. She moved on to Joxer. "Yes he too will do, he is very handsome." but just as she reached out Autolycus grabbed her arm only dimly feeling it burn then go numb as he touched her.

"No take me instead. He has taken a shard to the heart and would do you no good as a lover. Take me instead and let him go maybe Hercules can find a cure elsewhere."

She stopped and considered his words. "Very well come to me."

Hercules was considering how best to save all of them when Joxer said at first quietly "no"

Everyone turned to him. Then he said just a little louder "NO. Don't take him."

Autolycus went to Joxer and said "It's the only way she will let you go. You will die here."

"So no one will miss me. Neither Xena or Gaby want me, and no one else wants me either. It is better for me to die. Not you."

"I don't want you to die. I would miss you." he said as he reached up to touch his face for a second.

Joxer stepped back a second. Then said, "I'm sorry I never knew. but I can't let you die for me."

"No Joxer No" He said as he grabbed him to restrain him.

Autolycus held him as he laid his head on Joxer's heart and cried. "No I just found you, don't die now."

Iolaus and Hercules watched a little choked up. As Iolaus let one emotional tear drop from his eyes The tear powered by said emotion melted the shard and his sight was restored. The Snow Queen turned as she sensed the demise of the shard and glared at him. She became furious as Autolycus's tears melted Joxers heart in more ways than one.

Hercules saw The Snow Queen start to act and grabbed Iolaus and the pair in front of him "RUN NOW"

The Snow Queen was on their heels with her wolves as they passed their former camp an idea formed. When they got a far enough lead they started a fire and each took a torch. The Snow Queen's anger could be heard echoing in the mountains as she screamed

Later as Autolycus and Joxer left together hand in hand. Hercules gave Iolaus a kiss and said "At least none of us have to 'babysit' them anymore."

Iolaus laughed.

Autolycus and Joxer kept in mind Hercules warning to avoid snowy area's and to not cross Hera's cousin the Snow Queen in the future.

Xena and Gaby started to wonder where Joxer had gotten to.

THE END