A Consequence of Honor

It had been almost a year since the hunter had ventured into the western valley surrounding the village of Thessa.

Both Hercules and Iolaus tried to make a habit of visiting the friendlier Amazon tribes on a regular basis. Even though a lot of the Amazons were still wary and guarded around any man, the demigod and the hunter had managed to forge strong friendships with many of the warrior women.

In the Southern Tribal Territory they had assisted a group of Amazons when a severe draught threatened to leave them without food for the winter. Hercules helped several of the women build a new cistern, while Iolaus had shown the crop-dependent tribe how to supplement its food supply by setting snares and traps in the surrounding forests.

In the Northern Territory there was a small Amazon village called Caperna that was being plagued by marauders from the coast. The two heroes had been on the trail not far from the village when the attacks started. Along with several of the Amazons' best warriors, including their stately Queen, Hercules and Iolaus helped to drive the pirates out.

But not all the Amazons embraced the two men. Truth be told, some of them would never be comfortable around the male of the species, let alone two legendary heroes. They were too conspicuous for the women warriors not to worry that their presence in the Amazon camps would lead to more intrusions from the outside world.

One such village was nestled snugly in the valleys of the Western Territories. The village was called Thessa and it was surrounded by some of the most beautiful land in Greece. Blue rivers to the north, fish-laden lakes to the south, rich farmland to the east and grassy plains that stretched as far west as the eye could see. It was a little bit of Elysium--at least that's what Iolaus, hunter and comrade to the demigod Hercules, had thought the first time he saw it.

But that had been over a year ago, and this time, as he followed the western valley toward the village of Thessa, it was neither the beauty of the land nor the abundance of mother earth's treasures so richly bestowed upon it that he thought of. There was one thought in his mind this time. Her name was Lexandra.

As the hunter topped the valley's ridge and looked down upon Thessa, he smiled. The last time he'd seen the petite Amazon with the bright eyes and chocolate brown hair had been from this ridge. He and Hercules had just spent several unsuccessful weeks with Thessa's queen, Dione, in an attempt to hammer out at least some portion of the peace treaty the Amazons had offered the Scytherians, a warring tribe of men to the northeast. Even the great mediator that the son of Zeus was, he could not convince the barbarians that peace with the Amazons would be a good thing.

The women warriors had been battling the Scytherians for years, and neither side wanted to give an inch. However, Iolaus and Hercules could understand the Amazons' reluctance after witnessing how ferocious and cruel the Scytherians could be. They knew they were at an impasse and the tenuous guise of hospitality was stretched to its limits and the heroes eventually departed from Thessa.

Lexandra had watched their retreating backs in sorrow, especially for the one she would most likely never see again. When he reached the ridge and turned to wave, she held up her arms in the Amazon tradition, then waved back. With an anguished sigh and an ill feeling in her stomach, she made her way back to the Amazon village.

It was that last vision of her that the hunter held in his mind's eye as he cautiously entered the Amazon camp at Thessa. He moved silently along the dirt path, his keen senses on alert for any movement in the trees around him. The main road seemed deserted, but Iolaus knew that not to be the case.

His hunch was proven as a sudden war cry split the crisp morning air and five women, dressed in full battle gear, weapons drawn, fell effortlessly from the trees above and landed in a menacing circle around him.

He didn't know if it would do him any good, but purely out of habit Iolaus raised his arms in the Amazon greeting and said calmly, "I'm not here to hurt you. I only came to see a friend."

One of the women on his right held a wicked-looking spear to his side and from behind her ornate mask of feathers and jewels replied, "You have no friends here, little man. Have you been sent by the Scytherians to spy on us or threaten us again?"

Quite aware of the spear's tip pressing at his flesh, he looked to the masked woman and said, "I swear that no one has sent me. I came of my own accord--"

"A fatal mistake!" shouted another warrior to his left as she inched her dagger closer to the hunter's neck.

Iolaus swallowed hard and was about to speak again when a voice from behind called out.

"Sisters! He tells the truth; put away your weapons."

Iolaus recognized the authoritative voice immediately and slowly turned to face Dione, the statuesque Amazon Queen.

The hunter breathed a sigh of relief as he heard knives and daggers being sheathed. He carefully let his hands drop to his sides and, taking a step in the Queen's direction, said "Thank you."

"Not so fast hero," the Queen said in a voice that stopped the hunter in his tracks and caused him to wonder if he was really out of danger. "I know that you were not sent by the Scytherians. I also assume that you know by now there will never be peace between Thessa and Scytheria. So I must ask, why have you returned, Iolaus?"

He knew from experience that even his charm could not budge Dione. Hands on his hips, he looked at her squarely and said, "I've come to see Lexandra."

He turned at the outburst and general commotion among the Amazon warriors that his announcement had caused. They had pulled their masks off and now openly stared at him, some in shock, some in surprise, some even in anger.

"Quiet!" Dione silenced the group with a wave of her hand. She then turned the same critical eyes as her followers back toward the blond hunter. "So you risked your life to come back and see her? How brave you must feel."

The unmistakable note of scorn in the Queen's voice slightly confused him. "I'm not a threat to anyone here...I really didn't see it as a risk. At least not a big enough risk to keep me away."

Again, the muffled voices and chatter behind him put him on alert.

The Queen silenced them again.

"Return to the village, my sisters," she ordered, then added in a low, ominous tone, "Speak to no one of this."

"Where is she, Dione?" Iolaus asked the Queen when the others had gone. "I want to see her."

"Perhaps she does not want to see you," the Queen replied coolly.

"I didn't get that impression the last time I saw her," the hunter countered.

"Ah yes, the mission of peace that failed miserably," she smiled mirthlessly. "Where is the mighty Hercules anyway? Not accompanying you on this trip?"

Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. Dione was still the hostile warrior woman she was the first time he'd been in Thessa, but her stalling about Lexandra's location was consuming both his patience and his peace of mind.

"Besides," she continued, waving a willowly arm around the village. "Things are different now. Lexandra is different. I pray to the gods that you are different."

"Damn it, Dione, tell me where she is!" he ordered, coming to stand within a few inches of her.

"Foolish man, you do know that I could have you killed for this little display of...masculinity," she purred, leaning in closer to him.

Iolaus knew this quite well. But he had to know if something had happened to Lexandra.

"Is she dead?" the hunter's words were torn from a constricted throat.

Keeping him hanging for as long as she could, Dione finally said tersely, "She lives."

A huge wave of relief flooded over the hunter and he visibly relaxed. At least she was alive. He silently thanked the gods and turned his eyes back to the Queen's. "Now tell me where she is Dione. I'm not leaving until I've seen her."

Suddenly the Queen's graceful body was wracked with peals of mocking laughter. "Go fool! Go to her! She occupies the same hut at the edge of the village as when you were last here! I'm certain you know the way!"

The hunter wordlessly backed up and headed in the direction of Lexandra's hut. It was true...he did know the way.

"I just know she'll be thrilled to see you, Iolaus!" the Queen cried after him.

He walked on, not looking back.

The dark-haired Amazon, arms crossed lightly over her chest, stood staring vacantly out the window of her hut. Although not as large as the Queen's, the quarters that Lexandra occupied were spacious enough and were arranged neat and orderly, pillows strewn comfortably about the floor.

It had been her home for nearly all of her twenty-six years, except her early childhood which was spent in Dione's hut. An abandoned infant found by the Amazon women, Lexandra had been raised by Dione as her own and was taught by some of the bravest and strongest warriors in the village.

She grew up strong and knowledgeable in the ways of war and the art of battle. Proficient with the bow, spear, sword and staff, she was a most formidable opponent--a fact that did not escape the Queen, who began to place on Lexandra her hopes for the warrior to inherit the throne when the right time came.

Shielded from much of the outside world and its ways, Lexandra soon discovered her one weakness--a weakness that she desperately tried to hide from both Dione and her Amazon sisters. She wished to see the world. After she learned of her abandonment as a child, she wondered often about her blood family and who they were and where they came from and what things they did out there in that strange place beyond the limits of the Amazon camp. She wondered, too, why they had left her.

Although Dione tried to discourage the girl from seeking outside influences, they came nonetheless. A lost traveler, a wandering bard, a soldier awaiting punishment by the warrior women--from these and more she gained more of an understanding of those who chose not to live as the Amazons did. She was grateful for all the things she learned; however, she knew that she would never be able to see them firsthand. Her place was in the camp with her sisters. She would content herself with the stories and dreams she held close her heart.

Then one day not so long ago, two legendary figures came to Thessa, hoping to bring peace to it and the warring nation of Scytheria. When Lexandra met Iolaus, her dreams were no longer enough. In fact, in the weeks that Hercules held out before Queen Dione, the hunter had shown her things far beyond any one of her dreams.

Now as the Amazon breathed deeply of the cool mid-morning air, her green eyes scanned the valley that lay before the great camp. She wasn't quite sure why, but the breeze blowing across the valley somehow seemed sweeter today, and as it infiltrated her senses, her mind started to wander.

Her gaze followed the tall green grass up to the ridge where she'd last seen him, and in her reverie, she almost thought she could hear him call her name.

"Lexa."

A shiver of confusion mixed with excitement rode along her spine as she turned slowly in the direction of the voice that she still heard in her dreams.

"Iolaus."

She felt the word leave her mouth but she barely heard the sound it made, so rapt was she by the figure standing in the open doorway. By the gods, she thought. He is even more beautiful than I remember. The amazing blue of his sparkling eyes, the waves of blond hair that refused to be tamed, a smile so gentle yet so enticing --all things that had become very familiar to her, yet still held a power over her that none of her Amazon training could defeat.

"Lexa," the hunter repeated as he dropped his pack inside the door and took a step towards her. "I can't believe it… I'm actually here with you again..."

"Neither can I," she replied softly as she stood, back to the window, her suddenly-moist eyes never leaving that beloved face except to briefly fall to his slightly exposed chest. Smooth and tan--her hands itched to caress it again.

The two stood there in silence for several moments. Iolaus was taken aback at how she still affected him. True, they had been extremely close on those warm spring nights under the cover of starlit skies, reveling in the shelter of each other's arms. But that had been nearly a year ago. Was that really such a long time?

The moment he had seen her at the window, clad in her dark brown suede dress with the thigh-skimming hem, he felt as though he had never left at all. The exquisite beauty of her form and face that had hit him with a force so powerful it was useless to resist was still there, and it wrapped itself around the Amazon like a satin scarf that knew the contours of her body almost as well as he did.

He knew he couldn't just stand there any longer.

"By the gods, Lexa, I've missed you so much," he said in a near-whisper. "I really don't think I realized just how much...until right now."

Feeling her heart drop down to her feet, she silently commanded her breathing to slow down to normal and managed to say, "I've thought about you every day since you left, Iolaus. I never thought you'd come back."

Suddenly Dione's words rang cruelly in his ears: "Perhaps she does not want to see you!"

Running a strong hand through his blond waves, he took a deep breath and asked, "Have I done...the right thing? In coming back?"

Lexandra was now at the mercy of her tears, and they flowed down her cheeks unbidden. But she smiled all the same and said, "Gods Iolaus, yes. Yes...I'm so glad you came!"

He went to her now, swiftly, and pulled her close to his heart. Lexandra's hands quickly found their home in his golden curls and brought his face to hers. She melted against the hunter as his arms tightened around her waist, and she sighed everso slightly as at last his warm mouth blessedly captured her own.

"What a terribly pretty picture the two of you make."

A low voice dripping with sarcasm caused the Amazon and the hunter to break their kiss and turn to face the doorway.

"Solerna, this is my hut," Lexandra said slowly and deliberately as she removed herself from Iolaus' embrace to stand before the dark-skinned Amazon. "Maybe not for much longer, but right now it is still mine and I won't have you stand there and insult my friend."

"Funny what passes for friendship these days," the woman mused, her violet eyes filled with a mocking anger. The Amazon sighed and turned thoughtful. "But I suppose these days you have to take friends where you can get them, eh Lexandra? You certainly don't have many in this village anymore."

"Leave us now Solerna or I will remove you," the petite Amazon replied calmly as she stood her ground. "You and the others make no bones about no longer considering me a part of this tribe, so why would you think I'd have any qualms at all about knocking you flat on your Amazon behind?"

At that moment Iolaus was strangely reminded how much he loved Lexa's sense of humor. Had the situation not been so tense and utterly confusing to him, he might have chuckled at her threat to the other woman.

Solerna, however, realized that Lexandra would definitely back up her threat. She had seen the warrior in action too many times not to know how skilled she was.

"As you wish, Lexandra," the taller Amazon relented, scorn still evident in her expression as she turned her gaze to Iolaus, "Please enjoy your stay here. We all know how thoroughly you've enjoyed Lexandra in the past."

With a final mirthless laugh, Solerna turned on her heel and left the hut.

Lexandra stared after her, and Iolaus went to put his hands on her shoulders. The muscles there were as tight as bow strings.

"What in Tartarus is going on here?" the hunter asked.

Iolaus felt the Amazon take a deep breath and release it.

"Life is going on here Iolaus. Life in all its honor and glory, and all its consequences," Lexandra replied firmly as she turned to face him. He was gently massaging her back and shoulders and she closed her eyes, content just to be in his arms again.

Her green eyes opened when the caresses stopped and the hunter held her gently at arm's length to search her face. "Lexa, please. Tell me what's happening here. When I got here Dione was one of the first to...uhm...greet me. She mentioned something about how things had changed. Things were different now."

"Dione loves to talk. It doesn't matter what the topic is," she said softly, averting her eyes.

"Lexa," Iolaus prompted as he placed a finger beneath her chin, raising her gaze to meet his, "what did you mean when you told Solerna that this was your hut for now, and how you weren't considered part of the tribe anymore?"

For a moment she thought about telling him right then...getting it over with and out in the open. She knew too well what looking at those blue eyes for too long could do to her. Indeed, she had ample evidence of his power over her.

No. She would tell him later. Not now...not when her prayers had just been answered and she could do the things she had to do--the things she feared she would never have the chance to do.

"Oh Iolaus, always the hero," she said with a genuine smile. "Just one of the many things I love about you, you know."

Gods, her smile always made him weak-kneed...some hero, he thought ironically. He would try to coax the information out of her once more. "Lexa, what is it that you're not telling me? I'm worried about you..."

Lexa reached up and with a soft laugh she tousled his blond curls. Then she let her hand trail lazily down the side of his jaw, his neck and down his chest to rest on the buckle of his belt. "Iolaus...trust me."

The hunter flashed her a blinding grin as he caught up her wandering hand in his and brought it to his lips. "Hey, that's supposed to be my line."

For the first time in many months Lexa laughed in earnest. She thrilled to the feel of his soft, warm lips on her fingertips and grasping his hand she began to pull him towards the doorway. "Iolaus, you know that I could never resist you...or deny you. But first, right now, there's something we have to do."

A crooked grin tugged at the corners of the hunter's mouth at this statement.

"No my insatiable hunter, not that," Lexa smiled as she picked up his pack and handed it to him. "We're going to take a little trip."

"An overnight trip?"

"You're incorrigible Iolaus!"

"So I've been told."

Lexandra stuffed a few things in her own pack and hefted it over her shoulder. Taking Iolaus by the hand she said, "Let's go. I want to show you something."

Helios' chariot was high overhead when Lexandra and Iolaus stopped to rest. The Amazon had lead the hunter several leagues down into the valley.

"Are you going to tell me where we're going?" Iolaus asked as he tossed his pack to the side and slid down to lean against a fallen tree trunk.

"Now, Iolaus..." Lexa replied with a smile. "I told you it's a surprise."

"Will they have food there?" he asked with a giggle as Lexandra sat in a cross-legged position next to him.

"Don't worry, Iolaus, I won't let you starve," she laughed as she began to search through the bag she had brought.

"That's awful kind of you Lexa."

"Here. Eat."

The Amazon smiled and tossed Iolaus the loaf of bread and hunk of cheese she had brought along. "I'm going down to the river to fill these."

As Lexandra rose, their water flasks in hand, Iolaus asked, "Do you want me to come with you?"

"Iolaus, I'm an Amazon...at least for awhile longer," she said ruefully. "I can take care of myself. But thank you for the offer."

She threw a smile over her shoulder and headed for the nearby river that ran from the mountains and down through the valley.

As Iolaus munched on the bread and cheese he wondered what Lexa was hiding. It had gnawed at him all morning. There was so much happening that he didn't understand. The confrontation with Solerna, Lexa's comments about no longer being an Amazon...what was happening to her? And why wouldn't she let him help her? Maybe Dione was right. Things had changed.

Lexa returned with filled water flasks and tossed Iolaus his.

"Thanks," he said as she sank down beside him again. Then he offered her the bread and cheese.

As she ate, she stared out towards the horizon. "We'll be there soon, Iolaus. Definitely before dusk."

The Amazon turned to find Iolaus watching her intently. His blue eyes were filled with questions, and she felt a stab of guilt run through her.

"Iolaus...I know what you must be thinking..."

"Do you? Well could you clue me in, cause Lexa, I have no idea what's going on or what I should be thinking," the hunter sighed and leaned back against the fallen log.

"You're right Iolaus and I'm sorry," Lexa said softly.

"Don't apologise," Iolaus replied, taking her hand in his. "Just tell me what's going on so I can help you!"

She bit her bottom lip and looked away from him. "Iolaus, Dione and the rest of the tribe are banishing me."

"What?!" the hunter exclaimed. "Banished? Why in Tartarus are they doing that?"

"It's a long story, Iolaus, but the point is that they don't feel I've lived up to the Amazon Code...and so I'm to be banished from this valley."

The hunter was speechless--a rarity for Iolaus.

"I can't believe this!" he said at length, running a hand through his hair. "You're one of the best warriors in this tribe...Dione practically raised you...you've done so much for these people..."

His voice trailed off as she raised a hand to his cheek. "Thank you Iolaus...it means a lot to me to hear you say that."

Iolaus caught her hand in his and now held both of hers in a firm but gentle grasp. "When?"

"Three days hence, when the moon is full," she sighed wistfully. "You know Iolaus, I never truly felt that I belonged there. I wasn't born there, not as a true Amazon. Oh I tried to convince myself that my place was there...but...there was always something missing, something not...quite right."

"But all the things you learned--"

"Despite everything I learned, all the skills, all the knowledge, all the strategy...I still always wondered what it would be like if I were raised elsewhere...outside the tribe. And never did I feel that more than when I met you, Iolaus."

When he remained silent, she went on. "You brought the world to me, my hunter."

"Is there anything that I can do?" he asked, pain evident in his voice.

Lexa shook her head slowly and then smiled. "Just accompany me on this journey...and think no less of me because of this banishment."

"Oh Lexa," he said reaching out to touch her face, "you know that's not possible. I could never think less of you, least of all because of this."

"Thank you Iolaus," she whispered, trying to keep unshed tears in check. "This trip is one I have to make and I want you there with me."

"So this trip has something to do with the banishment?"

"In a way," she replied, turning her face against his hand and placing a soft kiss on the palm. "There's some friends I want to see, and after the banishment, I'm afraid I won't be able to."

Iolaus smiled, the compassion lighting up his eyes. "You can count on me Lexa. I'll be with you...every step of the way."

She nodded her gratitude and released breath she didn't know she had been holding.

True to her word, Lexandra pointed out a small cottage in the distance just before dusk had fallen. The Amazon and the hunter had walked mostly in silence since they broke camp by the river.

Iolaus had not pushed Lexa for any further explanations of why Dione had declared Banishment on her--he knew that when she was ready she would confide in him. At least, he hoped she would.

As the pair reached the fenced-in yard of the sun-bleached house, a figure emerged to stand by the railing on the porch that surrounded the cottage in the front and on two sides.

Lexa left Iolaus' side and ran up the porch steps to embrace the woman waiting there. "Dacey! Oh it's so good to see you. It's been too long."

"My child!" the woman exclaimed in delight. "You were just here not five days ago!"

Lexa pulled back to see the woman's face. "As I said, too long."

The Amazon followed her friend's gaze to where Iolaus stood silently at the foot of the steps. "Dacey, there's someone I'd like you to meet. This is Iolaus. Iolaus, my friend Dacey."

"Good to meet you, Dacey," the hunter replied, taking the woman's offered hand in his. Studying her face, he guessed her to be in her late forties. She wore her red hair pulled back from her face and brown eyes peered out of a friendly, yet almost wary face.

"And you too, Iolaus," Dacey said with a smile that wavered only a bit before reaching her eyes. "The great hero Iolaus--Bastian and I have heard many fantastic tales about your exploits with the mighty Hercules."

Lexa grinned at Iolaus and took his hand as he shifted on his feet, slightly uncomfortable at the woman's words.

"What can I say, Dacey? He's gorgeous and modest too," Lexa said as she gave his hand a squeeze. She was rewarded with one of the hunter's sunny grins. Turning back to the woman, she asked, "And where is Bastian? Surely he must be close to home...it's nearly supper time."

Dacey laughed as she gestured for the two to follow her inside. "That man! Sometimes I don't know what to do with him. He's been in town all day."

"Dacey's husband works with the magistrate in town," Lexa offered as Iolaus followed her into the house.

"Please, please. Make yourselves comfortable you two," Dacey insisted as they came to a small but lived-in looking sitting room with soft chairs and couches situated around a hearth. Books lined the shelves on the walls and the candles that burned in the windowsills cast a warm glow over the whole room. "Bastian should be home any moment. He and the magistrate have spent the last week trying to hammer out a deal with the village farmers to supply milk and grain to the local orphanage."

"Sounds like a fine man," Iolaus replied as he sat next to Lexa on one of the low couches, "to be fighting for such noble causes."

"Well, my Bastian's no Hercules," Dacey laughed heartily. "Or even an Iolaus! But I still love him..."

When Dacey had trundled off to the kitchen, Iolaus asked, "Where did you meet these people?"

"In the marketplace in town," the Amazon replied relaxing her head on the soft cushions of the couch. "I was there for some...supplies, and I met Dacey. She helped me find what I needed...and then invited me to her home to share in, as she said, a most wonderful repast made by her very own hands."

Lexa giggled. "They've been a godsend."

The hunter was about to question her about her last statement, when the front door opened and a tall, muscular man entered.

"Bastian!" Lexa cried and went to greet the gray-haired man, who stood open-armed. "Dacey said you're doing heroic things again."

"Not so much heroic, my child, but necessary!" he beamed as he returned Lexandra's hug.

"There he is! My hero," Dacey announced with a chuckle in Iolaus' direction as she went to embrace her husband.

"Telling stories on me again I see," he teased his wife and kissed her forehead. "Looks like we have guests tonight!"

"Yes, my love," Dacey replied as she held out her hand to Iolaus.

The hunter quickly closed the space between them and holding the woman's hand in his left, used his right to grasp Bastian's arm in greeting.

Dacey's eyes fairly sparkled as she said, "This is Iolaus...a very good friend of Lexandra's."

"You don't say!" Bastian exclaimed with a wink at Lexa. "The hero Iolaus, who fights side by side with the mighty Hercules?"

"Yes my love," Dacey answered in haste. "That's the one. We've already been through this once today."

Iolaus laughed and said, "I've heard some good things about you Bastian...it's a pleasure."

"My my! Iolaus in our humble home," Bastian continued shaking his head. "Do the kids know yet?"

Dacey glanced in Lexa's direction and said, "No, unfortunately they're sleeping off a hard afternoon of playing hide and seek and generally running me ragged."

"You have children?" Iolaus asked eagerly, always excited at the prospect of recounting heroic tales, watching with delight the wide-eyed and innocent expressions of his hyperactive listeners. "How many?"

Lexa nodded almost imperceptably and Bastian said, "We have been blessed with three wonderful children. Two boys, Kayson and Theron, and our precious little pearl of a girl, Maggie."

"Iolaus loves children," Lexandra mused softly, gazing at the hunter who stood by her side. "And they just adore him."

"Well, that's just because I'm so close to their height," Iolaus remarked with a laugh and a quick squeeze around Lexa's waist.

Suddenly, Lexa felt ill. A huge deluge of emotions threatened to swallow her up--fear, guilt, helplessness, anxiety. What was she doing? Was it the right thing to do? What would Iolaus think of her? The thought of losing him was suddenly all too real, and she turned her face away from him, lest her unbidden tears betray her.

Bastian noticed her discomfort and announced. "Well, Dacey, my love, from the amazing aroma coming from the kitchen, I'd say supper was about ready!"

Taking her cue from her husband, the woman replied, "Yes, Lexa, Iolaus, we're so glad to have extra plates at our table tonight."

"Thank you both," Iolaus said, following the couple to the small table with Lexa in tow. "You're very kind to have us, and so unexpected too."

"Oh well," Bastian let out a hearty laugh as they all found their places at a modest but lovely wooden table, "we've kind of gotten used to Lexa dropping by. And how could we turn down the company of a hero?"

Dacey chuckled with delight at the hunter's sheepish grin, and Lexa smiled and mouthed the words "thank you" in Bastian's direction.

After a very pleasant meal with equally pleasant company, Lexandra and Iolaus sat on the porch steps of the little cottage. Dacey and Bastian were cleaning up in the kitchen and had insisted that their guests would not lift a finger.

"I really like them, Lexa!" Iolaus was saying as he leaned back against the steps, stretching his legs out. "They seem like such great people."

"I'm glad Iolaus," replied the Amazon, leaning against the porch railing and enjoying Iolaus' silhouette in the moonlight. Gods, how she loved him! The weeks they had shared together back in Thessa had been the most exciting time of her life. Seeing him again, being so close, she longed to feel that excitement again. But this was hardly the time! Or was it?

"Lexa..." the hunter was calling her name. "Where are you, my dear?"

She joined in his laughter and just shook her head. "So you approve of Dacey and Bastian, then?"

"Of course, they're terrific."

"Yes, they truly are."

The two sat in silence for a moment, only crickets, owls and other nightbirds putting in their two-cents' worth.

Almost abruptly, Lexandra spoke again.

"Iolaus, would you like to see the children?" the words came out in a tumble, fear that she would lose her nerve causing her to speak quickly.

"They're still sleeping, aren't they?" Iolaus asked with that beautifully lazy smile, the effects of which he was so totally unaware. "They must be some energetic little kids."

"Yes, but we could look in on them," Lexa prompted. "Dacey and Bastian won't mind."

Iolaus watched the Amazon with eyes full of compassion. Lexa loved children too. He knew that. He also knew that compassion wasn't the only emotion the sight of Lexa was bringing out in him. Why had he stayed away so long? Of course he knew the answer to that question. It was the same reason why he never stayed in any place for very long. Something always came up...a monster, a warlord, a thief and his gang...and off he'd be at Hercules' side living the life he thought he was destined to live. And although his friendship and partnership with the demigod was the most important thing in his life, at times like these, the hunter often wondered if he'd ever get the chance to live the life of a husband and father. They were both things he definitely wanted. He looked at Lexa's expectant face. She was so beautiful.

"Why not?" he announced with a wide grin. "Let's go have a look."

Lexandra smiled as Iolaus took her hand and pulled her up from the porch and for a moment they stood very close to each other, the moonlight softly framing their faces. When the hunter slowly leaned in for a kiss, Lexa eagerly accepted and let out a small moan of pleasure as the gentle pressure of his mouth on hers quickly became a passionate hunger.

When Iolaus reluctantly broke the kiss, the Amazon melted against his body and whispered, "By the gods, how I've missed you."

The hunter pulled back so he could see her face, still flush from his kiss. "I should've come back sooner, Lexa."

"Don't blame yourself, Iolaus," she replied, pushing stray golden curls behind his ear. "I know how important what you and Hercules do is to you, not to mention the whole of Greece. How could I ask someone like you to leave that life and come stay with me? Even though I would've liked nothing better."

Iolaus saw complete understanding in Lexa's smile, but he also saw the sorrow and regret that he too was feeling at that moment.

"Come on," Lexa said, her green eyes bright in the moonlight, "let's go see the kids."

Iolaus nodded and followed her into the house. Noises and laughter from the kitchen told them that Bastian and Dacey were still putting the kitchen back in order. Iolaus chuckled softly at the thought of the couple, obviously still so much in love after many years of marriage. He silently admitted that he felt a prick of envy as Lexa led him quietly to the children's room.

It was a small room, but most adequate for kids who spent most of their time outdoors and merely slept there. Two pallets lay on the wood floor in one corner of the room. The couple noiselessly made their way over to where the two children slept. From the mane of long red hair peeking out from the pallet nearest them, Iolaus guessed it must have been Maggie.

Lexa nodded and leaned over the sleeping girl to pull the covers around the other child, Kayson.

"For brother and sister, they get on remarkably well," Lexa laughed softly as Kayson's mouth opened in a huge yawn that could only be borne of childhood exuberance and a long day outside.

Soft mewls brought Iolaus' attention to the wood-carved cradle across the room. He looked up at Lexa surprised.

"That's Theron," she whispered, "the baby."

"Baby?" the hunter questioned, assuming that the three children would be fairly close in age.

"Mmmhmmm," Lexa replied as she made her way to the cradle, Iolaus following close behind.

"Well, would you look at that?" Iolaus exclaimed in a soft voice as he reached a gentle hand into the crib of the now-awake child. "How old is the little fellow?"

"He'll be 4 months old in a couple of weeks..." Lexa explained as she delighted in the smiles and expressions that came over the hunter's face as he cooed and played with the baby.

"Well, aren't you a fine-looking one, Theron," Iolaus spoke to the baby, who laughed and promptly closed his tiny hand around Iolaus' finger. "You've got quite a grip there, little man. Yes you do. You're gonna be able to throw a spear with the best of them!"

Lexa's face nearly hurt from smiling. She watched Iolaus' face as he conversed with the little baby with the huge blue eyes.

"And with a good strong name like Theron, you're gonna go far, little one," Iolaus grinned, and with a glance at Lexa, he finally gave in and scooped the little baby up in his arms. "That's better! Now I can see you."

Lexa was certain that Iolaus would be able to hear the thudding of her heart. It sounded incredibly loud to her as she watched him handle the fair-haired child with such a gentleness and ease. He looked so natural with the child. Lexa breathed deeply.

"Theron was named after his father," the Amazon said softly, her eyes never leaving Iolaus' face. "Theron means hunter."

Iolaus' gaze was riveted to the cooing child in his arms as he laughed and replied, "That's kind of odd. Bastian just didn't strike me as the hunting type."

"No, he's not," Lexa answered, taking a step closer to them, "but you are Iolaus."

Iolaus' blue eyes slowly rose to meet Lexa's, his mouth open in mid-sentence. The Amazon immediately saw the question there, staring her plainly in the face.

"Yes, Iolaus," Lexandra replied with a mixture of relief and sadness. "Theron is ours. Yours and mine..."

"When you left Thessa, I wasn't aware that you'd left part of you behind with me," Lexandra mused as she fed her son his bottle. "Imagine my surprise."

Bastian and Dacey had checked on their own children and then tactfully retired to their bedroom. Lexandra had told them about the baby's father, and now that he was here, they figured the couple needed all the time together they could get.

"Lexa..." Iolaus said helplessly as he shook his blond head and sank down on the sofa next to the Amazon and the baby. "I'm so sorry...to have done this to you...and just...abandoned you...the both of you! If I'd only known."

"Iolaus! Do you really think that I blame you for giving me this sweet, beautiful child?" Lexa replied, turning smiling green eyes to her son's father. "There's no way that you could have known."

"Maybe if I'd come back sooner--"

"Iolaus, we can analyze all the maybes and what-ifs until we're blue in the face. It won't change anything," the Amazon removed the empty bottle from Theron's eager mouth and brought him up to her shoulder. She rubbed his back in a circular motion and then patted him lightly until he let out a rather loud burp.

At this Lexa looked to find Iolaus smiling. "That's my boy, alright."

Lexa laughed and handed Theron back to Iolaus. "He's his daddy made over, if you ask me. Beautiful blue eyes, golden hair, hearty appetite--"

"Loves his mother," the hunter interjected, putting an arm around Lexa and pulling her close to him. He kissed her gently, and then lowered his head to kiss Theron's cheek. Returning his gaze to Lexa he smiled, "What a family, huh?"

"Yeah..." Lexa replied, happier than she'd ever been in her life, with the two men she loved the most right beside her, "what a family."

Lexa and Iolaus lay on their sides facing each other on the narrow cot in Bastian and Dacey's spare room. Between them, Theron snored softly, sleeping on his stomach. Iolaus watched with delight as the infant mimicked sucking his bottle. The hunter laughed gently as he lay a hand on the child's back and felt the warmth radiated there.

Suddenly the hunter's countenance darkened and he raised his eyes to meet Lexandra's.

"This is it, isn't it?"

Lexandra remained silent, placing her own hand over Iolaus' without breaking their gaze.

"This is why the Amazons are banishing you," he said in a low voice. "Because you gave birth to a son."

"Not because I had a son, Iolaus," she replied softly. "Because I wouldn't give him up."

The Amazon drew back her hand slowly and rolled onto her back. Staring at the bare wooden beams of the ceiling, she sighed and murmured, "Dione actually told me that if I'd only had a daughter, none of this would have happened."

"And where is her logic in that?" Iolaus asked, indignation coloring his face as he stroked his son's fine hair.

"A daughter could be raised as an Amazon...as part of the tribe," Lexa replied calmly. "Solerna suggested leaving him at the edge of the forest...that someone was bound to find him and give him a home."

Iolaus' heart ached for her and what she'd gone through, in many ways, because of him. He reached over the sleeping Theron and caressed Lexa's cheek and felt the moisture there from tears she was attempting to hide.

Still, she went on, her eyes closed.

"How could they even suggest such a thing? Did they actually think I'd agree?" a mirthless laugh escaped her lips. "Did they really think I'd leave my son to suffer the same fate that I had..."

Iolaus remembered Lexa telling him of how she came to belong to the Amazon tribe, and how she had been abandoned as a child, never knowing her parents.

After several moments of silence, Lexa ran the back of her hand across her eyes and sat up on the bed, making an attempt at a smile. "So I brought him here two days after he was born. What I told you was true. I met Dacey in the marketplace, and she could see immediately that I was in desperate need of help."

She bent down and tenderly kissed her son's cheek and then raised her gaze back to Iolaus. "Dacey and Bastian took us in and helped with Theron until I regained some of my strength. They had invited us to stay for as long as we needed, and we were happy here. I knew I had to go back and face what sentence my tribe would hand down. But...I never imagined it would be banishment..."

She paused, then continued.

"I decided then that after the sentence was carried out, Theron and I would find someplace beyond the valley to make a home. There were just too many memories here…"

"So what happens now?" Iolaus asked softly, her pain mirrored in his blue eyes. "And what can I do?"

"Iolaus..." she looked at him with eyes so compassionate, his breath caught in his throat. "I don't expect you to do anything. This is my responsibility."

"Lexa! No it's not," the hunter replied, his voice low but firm. "At least not yours completely. This is my responsibility too! I won't walk away from you-either of you. Theron is my son and I'm so proud of him...and the fact that you're his mother, Lexa, makes me even prouder!"

"I wasn't lying earlier when I said that I understood the importance of your relationship with Hercules," she countered. "I have no expectations, no silly daydreams of you abandoning your work with him to come and be a husband and father, Iolaus! So don't think you will, because I won't let you! I won't let you just throw away all you've accomplished because one spring night, I suddenly lost all cohesive thought at the sight of you standing in my doorway! And because my mind fairly turned to mush when you took my hand and...and you kissed that spot on my forearm so...tenderly...and then--"

"And then I laid down beside you on that pallet because it was much too hot to get in bed, and we made love all night long and I actually wept at the pleasures your body yielded to mine..." Iolaus' voice trailed off as he saw the same look of passion in Lexa's eyes that he'd seen that night. He propped himself up on one elbow and a gentle smile spread slowly across his face. "Do you think you led me into some kind of trap? That I didn't want to be with you as much...probably more than...you wanted to be with me?"

The Amazon reached out and lightly brushed her thumb against his lips. "It's this smile that did it, you know. No one had ever smiled at me like that before, and no one has since. Once you graced me with that gloriously sunny smile, I was yours completely. I would've done anything you asked..."

"Then please let me help you and Theron," the hunter replied, sitting up on the bed. "That's what I'm asking. Lexa, please, just tell me what to do."

After a few moments, she spoke.

"Okay, Iolaus," she began as she gently scooped up the sleeping child in her arms and held him out for his father to place a kiss on his forehead. "The first thing you can do is stay here with Theron when I go back to the village."

"Lexa!" the hunter protested, as he watched her lay the baby in the crib that Iolaus had moved into the spare room with them. "I want to be there with you--"

"There's no need for that, Iolaus," she replied softly, bending to kiss her son goodnight. "It's a simple ceremony. It won't last long, and when it's over I'll come back here for both of you."

"And then?" he asked as she sat down on the edge of the bed once more, her back to him.

Iolaus watched as she took a deep breath and then released it slowly.

"Then the three of us will leave this valley and make a home for ourselves elsewhere," Lexa said confidently. "And our home will be one filled with happiness and laughter and unconditional love. And I'll raise our son to be a hero...just like his father. And he will know you Iolaus. I promise you that."

Lexa paused, and then she turned her full gaze on the hunter as she said, "And although you are and will always be welcome in our home...I hold you to nothing...This I swear to you, my love."

Not trusting his own voice, Iolaus silently pulled her into his warm embrace and found shelter in the jasmine scent of her dark hair. They remained that way for several moments, until the hunter pulled back to see her face. "What about the second thing?"

"Second thing?"

"Well, usually when someone says 'the first thing' it's followed by a 'second thing'."

Lexa's tense muscles relaxed as she watched her hunter's eyes sparkle with warmth and love. "You need a second thing to do?"

"Yes, I do," he replied matter-of-factly, the mere slip of a grin on his face. "I really feel the need to have a second thing to do."

"You know when I said that it was your smile I fell for?"

"I recall that."

"Well, I lied."

"Then what was it that made you fall in love with me?" the hunter asked, feigning hurt.

"Your rapier wit, my hero," she replied with a laugh.

"And not my dashing good looks?" he prompted, his face a mask of innocence.

"Well...that too."

The two dissolved into quiet laughter and clung to each other in a way that almost made them both forget what lay ahead of them. Almost.

"So," the hunter whispered, smoothing back the hair from her face, "what's the second thing you want me to do?"

Lexa looked into his eyes, blue and beautiful and loving, and said simply. "Hold me."

Without a word, the hunter gathered her close and then slid down on the bed beside her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed the top of her head.

Lexa lay there in the safety of Iolaus' strong arms, her face buried in the warmth of his chest and finally drifted off to sleep.

As the morning broke and the first rays of light poured through the windows of the little cottage, Dacey and Bastian quietly looked in on their guests.

Sometime during the night, the hunter had removed his purple patchwork vest, for it now hung from one of the low bedposts. He lay on his back, eyes still closed in sleep, with Lexa draped comfortably across his chest. Iolaus' arms were wrapped around her protectively as he held her close. Dacey could see the peaceful look on the Amazon's face, her cheek against the hunter's chest, moving with the rise and fall of his steady breathing.

"Oh Bastian!" she whispered to her husband. "Don't they look wonderful together? And have you ever seen Lexandra so happy?"

"Yes, my love," Bastian replied, pulling his wife into a warm embrace as they watched the couple sleep. "They seem to be extremely happy together. But, somehow, I'm afraid it's not going to be that easy."

"Is my romantic of a husband doubting the power of true love?" Dacey teased gently.

"As much as I'd like to believe otherwise...sometimes even love is not enough to keep two people together," Bastian replied softly, as he and his wife took one last look at the hunter and the Amazon, tenderly entwined in each other's arms, and then left the room.

Dacey had truly outdone herself. Breakfast consisted of bacon and griddle cakes with sweet honey. Gods, I've always loved honey! Iolaus mused as he made short work of the stack of thin cakes Dacey placed before him.

While the two women exchanged humorous glances, Bastian came to the hunter's aide. "Ladies, how is a hero supposed to be heroic without a good breakfast to start the day?"

Dacey laughed and playfully swatted her husband on his backside. "So that's your excuse for eating me out of house and home, is it?"

"But how could I resist, my dear!" Bastian replied, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "The delectable delights that come from this kitchen are things that the bards should write songs about!"

As the husband and wife mercilessly teased each other, Lexa and Iolaus locked gazes for a long moment. Lexa wondered if he was thinking the same as she--that this could be their life...a happy and loving home full of children. Despite her vow to him, she wished that she could make it so. But she also knew that she would never press him. She loved him too much for that.

After the kitchen was cleaned, this time Iolaus and Lexa insisting that they help, Bastian kissed his wife, hugged Lexa and shook the arm that Iolaus offered.

"Iolaus, it's certainly been a pleasure," the man said earnestly as the two walked outside. "And if you're not here when I get home tonight, I just wanted you to know how much we've enjoyed your company."

"Well, Bastian, I thank you and Dacey for your hospitality," Iolaus replied when they reached the bottom of the front steps. His gaze following Lexa as she cuddled the baby and joined Dacey outside on the front porch, he went on: "And I also want you to know how much I appreciate all you've done for Lexa and Theron. I really don't know what they would have done, had they not found you."

The older man could see the genuine concern and gratitude in the hunter's eyes. Would he stay with her now? He wondered. Personally he thought it would be crazy to give up the two precious gifts that were Lexa and Theron, but he did not voice his opinion. It was not his decision to make, and he believed what he had told Dacey earlier: Sometimes not even love is enough.

"We couldn't have done anything less, Iolaus," he now said, a smile on his face. "Lexa, and Theron especially, have really livened up this old cottage. I think secretly, Dacey was thrilled with the prospect of caring for another baby, raising another child."

"Well, you've definitely done a wonderful job with your own," Iolaus replied, laughing as two red-headed children ran by in a blur of movement. "And you have our gratitude and our appreciation, Bastian."

"Thank you Iolaus," the man said, nodding his head. Then with a casual salute to Lexa and his wife, he started down the road to town.

"You're a lucky woman, my friend," Lexa laughed, as she gently rocked Theron and hummed softly. "To have found a man like Bastian? That doesn't happen just everyday."

"Oh, but I think it does, Lexandra," Dacey replied, glancing over her shoulder at Iolaus and Kayson who were now rolling around in the tall grass, pretending to wrestle like great giants. She turned back to Lexa. "But we mustn't let it pass us by."

Lexa sighed as she watched Maggie hop on Iolaus' back and squeal in delight as the hunter gladly became her horse, carrying his lovely mistress to a masked ball. "If it were only that simple."

"Now you sound like Bastian."

"Is that a bad thing?" Lexa asked smiling at her friend.

"Of course not dear," Dacey replied, sighing heavily. "Lexa, I just don't want this opportunity to pass you by! You deserve so much more that what the Fates have handed you!"

"That's why they're called the Fates, not Fortune," Lexa mused as she watched Iolaus and the children.

"Lexa," Dacey said in a serious tone, "I know how much you love this man. When you first told me and Bastian about this person who had passed through your village leaving you with his child, I couldn't imagine how you could have any feelings for him at all!"

Lexandra was startled by the depth of compassion she saw in her friend's eyes.

"But, now," she continued, "meeting him, and seeing the two of you together, and watching him with the children, and knowing the love he carries for you and your beautiful son...Lexa he loves you, please take this chance at happiness and don't let it slip through your hands!"

Lexa felt the tiniest sting of unshed tears as she watched the pleading face before her. Didn't Dacey know that she was aware of all of these things? That she wished with every bit of her shattered heart that she could ask Iolaus to stay with them? For she knew it to be fact, that if she asked him to stay, he would. But at what price? And at what cost to her and Theron if he didn't stay?

"Sweetheart, truly I don't mean to upset you," the older woman was saying, caressing the younger woman's arm. "All I want is your happiness."

Lexandra swallowed the lump in her throat. "I know that Dacey. I know that you want me to be happy. I want to be happy too. But I also want Iolaus to be happy. And I'm not sure that tying him down to a wife and child is something that will make him happy."

"But why not, child?" Dacey asked, desperation now clearly etched in her pleasant features. "He loves you, doesn't he?"

"Yes, he loves me," she answered, a sad smile playing about her lips. "But what you must try to understand is that Iolaus' destiny does not lie with me, but with Hercules and all the good that they do for the people of Greece."

"Well, then he should've thought about where his "destiny" lay before he lay with you!" Dacey muttered under her breath.

"Dacey! Now you know it wasn't like that," Lexandra told her friend. "What happened between me and Iolaus was completely mutual."

Lexa looked out across the yard where Iolaus now had Kayson and Maggie enthralled with some exciting tale of adventure.

"I certainly wasn't hoping that this would happen," she said absently, then looked down into the face of her sleeping son. "But I wouldn't have done anything differently."

"A saint, my child!" Dacey exclaimed as she took the sleeping child from Lexa's arms. "That's what you are, you know. A living, breathing saint!"

Lexa laughed at the indignant look on her friend's face. "I'm not a saint, Dacey, only a woman. A simple woman."

"Well," the woman said, a gleam in her eye, "if you're a simple woman then I'm the Queen of the Gods!"

"Thank you, my friend," Lexa said, her tone more serious. "Theron and I would not have made it without you and Bastian."

With a dismissive wave, Dacey replied, "Honey, you would've made it any way that you could--that I truly believe."

The two women were quiet for a few moments, the silence broken only by Kayson's cry of wonderment at Iolaus' story.

"I'll take the kids inside," Dacey said in a soft voice. "Go to him."

"So, you're just a source of entertainment for hours, aren't you?" Lexa asked the hunter as she walked towards him.

"I have been called that before in my life," Iolaus responded with a twinkle in his ever-mischievous eyes, as he pulled Lexa into his arms and watched the retreating backs of the red-haired children. "They're great kids. Dacey and Bastian have definitely raised them well."

"Well they certainly took to you," she laughed.

"Like I said before--it's the height thing," he replied with a soft giggle that made her heart laugh. He then kissed the tip of her nose and took her hand in his. "C'mon. Walk with me."

The valley was alive in all its springtime splendor. Blue skies canopied a sea of tall, light green grass, and the smell of jasmine and heady gardenia filled the air.

The two walked in silence for awhile enjoying the company and the scenery.

Finally Iolaus turned to Lexa and asked, "So, when are you going to head back to the camp?"

Keeping her eyes forward, she replied, "I thought I'd start out tonight..."

"*Tonight* tonight?" the hunter interjected as he stopped and captured both of her hands in his. "You mean at night...when it's dark?"

Lexa laughed softly as she saw the expression on Iolaus' face. She brought their hands to her lips and placed a kiss on the back on his. "My protector. Didn't I tell you that you didn't have to worry about me?"

He smiled faintly as he answered, "You really don't expect me to not worry about you, do you Lexa? Battle-trained Amazon that you are."

This time she laughed out loud, a sweet peal of laughter that brought a light to the hunter's already bright eyes. Tugging on his hand, she led him farther across the sun-dappled valley.

"No. I suppose that for me to expect that would be unrealistic," she said as they passed under a huge willow tree whose branches wept from high over head.

"So you'll let me come with you?" he ventured, coming to a halt under the tree.

"No. There is no need, Iolaus," she replied softly. "I told you before. A simple ceremony and then I'm on my way back."

The hunter looked at her dubiously, studying her beautiful features--the eyes and the smile that had somehow thrown a net over his heart without any effort at all. The mother of his son. He loved her so much.

"Okay," he said at length, gathering her into his arms and pulling her close. "Simple ceremony. On your way back."

"Precisely."

Iolaus nodded his agreement slowly and then caught her completely off guard with a hungry kiss. Lexa felt him back her against the tree as she ran her hands through his golden curls and returned his kiss with the same urgency. The hunter deepened the kiss and she slid her hands beneath his vest, reveling in the feel of the smooth skin over his hard back muscles.

Reluctantly, Iolaus broke the kiss and watched her face intently as she fought to regain control of her ragged breathing.

"Lexa..."

"Uhm-hmm," she mumbled, hands still massaging his back.

"When Hercules met Serena, he knew that he would never be able to leave her," he said, one hand gently combing through her long auburn hair. "He was well aware of what that might mean to our partnership, but still, he knew he couldn't leave her."

"Iolaus, what are you saying?" she replied, her hands now resting unsteadily on his chest.

"What I'm saying," he continued, "is that I don't really think I truly understood his decision or his motives...until now. Until I came back...realized all that I'd missed."

"No regrets, Iolaus," she started to protest, but he went on, his blue eyes shining.

"I'm not talking about past regrets, Lexa! I'm talking about the future! Our future--you, me and Theron."

Lexandra searched the depths of those twin pools of blue but remained silent.

"Lexa, when you get back from the Amazon camp, I'll be here," Iolaus said in a soft, low voice. "And when you and Theron move from this valley I'm coming with you. I was too stupid to see what I had in you when I left the first time, and I'm not going to make that mistake again. I couldn't bear it, Lexa. Knowing how much I love you and Theron...I just couldn't bear it..."

Lexa stared at the hunter in stunned silence. Her heart felt like a bird that had just taken wing and had already flown so high that she couldn't even see it anymore.

"The offer is still open, isn't it?" he asked with a wry grin when she didn't answer.

"Uhm...uh...of course it is!" she managed to get out before throwing her arms around his neck and holding on with everything she had. "Of course it is..."

"Boy, I'm glad to hear that!" Iolaus teased, as he hugged her tightly. "Thought I might've blown it again!"

She pulled back to see his smiling face. Her hand went up to caress his cheek. "No. No, my love, you haven't blown it."

Then he was kissing her again, more gently this time but with just as much passion. When he started to playfully nibble her bottom lip, Lexa felt her heart lurch as she leaned helplessly against the tree, her mind swimming in a desire-filled fog.

When Iolaus had returned to her at the Amazon camp, Lexa swore she would be able to resist him this time. That she could steel herself and her emotions against this golden haired hunter with the sunny smile. But even as she mentally prepared herself to do that, she knew deep down that it was a lost cause. She had said as much to him before they left for Dacey and Bastian's cottage:

"Iolaus, you know I could never resist you...or deny you..."

Her words rung in her ears now, as Iolaus continued to ravish her mouth with his...and her mind with promises of pleasure revisited. When at last the hunter gently lowered her to the soft grass beneath the willow tree, she went willingly. He was her love, and her life, and she knew that she'd been born for this one moment.

Some time later, Lexandra woke to the plaintive call of the nightengale, and she realized that the sun was sinking low on the horizon. "Damn," she thought. She'd be leaving soon.

A small sigh reached her ears and she turned her head to see Iolaus still sleeping beside her...and smiling. Lexa couldn't help but smile herself. How in the world did she manage to secure the love of such a man? She didn't know. All she knew was that he wouldn't leave her again, and that she, Iolaus and Theron would be a real family now.

She reached out a cautious hand towards his face and jumped when his eyes flew open and he caught her hand in his. Giggling, he brought the hand to his lips and began to kiss her fingers.

"How long have you been awake?" she asked with a laugh.

"Not long," he replied, his soft lips lingering on each finger before moving on to the next. "I love you so much Lexa..."

"I love you too, Iolaus," she said happily, watching the dying light of day cast shadows on his handsome face. "Thank you."

"For what?" he smiled, running a finger lightly down her bare arm.

"For deciding to stay with me...with us."

"It was the only decision to be reached," the hunter spoke softly, gathering her into his arms. "I belong with you, Lexa."

His words sang to her happy heart and she never wanted to leave his embrace. Placing a soft kiss on his chest, she made herself ask the one question that was left to ask. "Iolaus, what about Hercules?"

The hunter looked down at her, her head resting on his arm, and saw how concerned she was about what Hercules would say. It was a concern he shared. Since making his mind up, he had continuously caught himself wondering how his friend and partner would react.

"I really believe that our partnership will survive this," he finally answered as much to himself as to Lexa. "I know it won't cause any harm to our friendship."

Iolaus laughed. No, he knew that Herc wouldn't react as he himself had. It still pained him to remember that he nearly missed his and Serena's wedding because of doubt and, yes, he admitted it, stubborness.

"Yeah, our friendship has been put through a lot in the time we've known each other. But…we're lucky. We've always stayed friends through it all. And besides," he said as he smiled down at her. "I don't hardly think that Herc could fault me for wanting to be with the bravest, most beautiful Amazon in Greece."

"Oh my," she replied with a laugh as she propped herself up on one elbow, "you do like to embellish a tale, don't you?"

"Now, that was not embellishing!" the hunter protested with a giggle.

"Oh no?" Lexa went on, her grin widening. "So you're telling me you've actually met every single Amazon in Greece?"

This only increased Iolaus' giggling.

"No, no wait," she replied, holding up her hand in defeat. "Please, I don't won't to know the answer to that!"

Lexandra sighed happily as she rolled onto her back, the cool grass beneath her. After a few moments, she asked, "So…you won't miss it then?"

"Helping people?"

"Yeah."

A moment of silence and then, "I won't have to miss it."

Lexandra searched the hunter's face as he turned to hover over her. "I can still do those things with Hercules. It's just going to take some...expert time management, that's all."

Lexa couldn't hide her grin. "And you're an expert when it comes to time management?"

He dropped a kiss on her forehead and laughed in reply. "As long as there's time, I can manage it!"

The Amazon smiled in contentment.

"And if there's one thing we've got, it's time," Lexa purred happily as she raised her lips to his once more.

Lexa and Iolaus walked through the moonlit valley in silence. Arms linked they made their way back to the cottage. They were still about a half league from the house when they heard the commotion. The sounds of hoofbeats, war cries and several voices demanding to be heard at once.

Then a shout rang through the air: "Lexandra!!"

The couple exchanged worried glances and took off at a run towards the cottage.

As they approached the front porch they could make out the figure of Dacey, hands covering her face, staring in shock at the two Amazon warriors who sat astride horses.

"Solerna!" Lexa exclaimed as she reached the woman on horseback. "What's going on?"

Teleah, one of the younger Amazons from the village, jumped from her mount and ran to Lexa.

"It's the Scytherians! They attacked the camp several hours after dawn this morning," the small, raven-haired girl explained as she placed a hand on Lexandra's shoulder.

"I can't believe it!" Lexa replied, her gaze going to Solerna's solemn face. She was in full battle gear, minus the mask. But black and red warpaint covered her face. "How are the Amazons faring? How many men have attacked?"

"Our forces are nearly equal in number," Teleah answered, seeing Iolaus for the first time, standing a few feet away. The younger Amazon cast a pleading glance in Solerna's direction and then back at Lexandra. "Lexa! Please! You have to come back and help us defeat them! With you at our side, we will surely beat these Barbarians!"

Iolaus snorted and muttered under his breath, "Yeah, now you need her."

Lexa spared him a glance and then replied, "But Teleah, you did say that the numbers and therefore the odds were equal, right?"

The young Amazon would not yield. She showed more nervousness than Iolaus had ever seen in an Amazon. She obviously hadn't seen much heavy fighting during her training.

"That may be! But Lexa, without a leader, the tribe..."

"Without a leader?" Lexa interjected, eyes narrowing and a sick feeling rocking her stomach. "What about Dione?"

Teleah only stared at her, her brown eyes full of helplessness.

"Solerna! Where's Dione?" Lexa demanded, moving towards the Amazon still on her horse.

"Dione's dead," Solerna replied tonelessly. "She was among the first to die."

"Please come back with us Lexa!" Teleah pleaded.

The news of Dione's death hit Lexandra hard. Although they had grown far apart in the last several months, the Amazon Queen had still raised her and taught her everything she knew about fighting, strategy and the Amazon traditions. She had been the only mother figure Lexa had ever known. Whether she'd been a positive or negative influence somehow seemed beside the point right now.

Lexa climbed the steps to the porch and took Dacey by the hand leading her back into the house. In the doorway, the older woman stopped and cried in low tones full of distress, "Lexa! You're not going with them, are you? What about Theron? It's much too dangerous!"

"I know, Dacey, and I know that you're scared for me, but please try to understand this is something I have to do," Lexandra said calmly, embracing her friend. "The best thing you can do to help me is what you've always done--take care of Theron until I get back! Please!"

"Honey, you know I will!" Dacey exclaimed returning her friend's hug. "Just please be careful!"

Lexandra nodded and went to retrieve her pack from the house, Iolaus close on her heels.

"Lexa!" he cried, catching hold of her arm as she swung her pack over her shoulder. "You're willing to fight with them, risk your life after they banished you?"

"Oh, gods Iolaus," she replied with a helpless gesture, "you know that I have to! You of all people should know! They may have banished me, but I'm still an Amazon! I can't turn my back and let them be slaughtered by those Scytherian Barbarians. Especially now...without Dione. Teleah's right. They'll all die if they don't have someone to lead them!"

"And that someone has to be you." It wasn't a question or an accusation, but a statement of fact, and Lexandra embraced Iolaus in a mixture of love and relief. "I'm coming too."

This time, Lexa made no move to object but watched with intense pride as the hunter gathered his own things and followed her to the children's bedroom.

Dacey had brought Theron's crib back in with the other kids, and the red-haired children were, thankfully, sleeping peacefully through the turmoil outside. Theron lay awake, one hand firmly stuck in his mouth. He looked up at the two faces which hovered above him and started making soft gurgling noises.

"We'll be back soon, dear one, I promise," Lexa whispered as she placed a tender kiss on her son's forehead. "Mommy loves you so much! Always know that."

Standing beside her, Iolaus reached down and brought a chubby hand to his lips. "Your mother always keeps her promises, Theron."

A silent moment passed between the two adults as the baby looked on, oblivious to all of the emotions that passed between his parents as they locked gazes.

Dacey still looked worried, but was a measure calmer as she saw the two emerge quickly from the house.

"Solerna! Teleah! We've got to ride fast and hard if we want to be of any help at all back there," Lexa said as she mounted Teleah's horse, helping Iolaus up behind her. At the question in the young Amazon's eyes, she replied, "Ride with Solerna."

Teleah managed a small smile and nodded eagerly.

As she gave Teleah a hand up, Solerna stared at Iolaus but bit back the reply on her tongue.

"Lexa!" Teleah beamed. "Thank you!"

"Thank me when this is over, okay?" Lexandra replied. Turning the horse around and giving a cry, she tore through the yard and down into the valley.

"Hyahh!" Solerna shouted, setting her horse into motion and racing after Lexa and Iolaus.

The riders made excellent time, with urgency pushing them onward at every turn. The sun had not yet risen when they reached the Amazon camp at Thessa. And the sight that greeted them was one of pure chaos.

The Amazon village was barely recognizable. Huts and tents had been razed to the ground, and the few buildings that still stood were either on fire or charred like black skeletons. The sounds of battle were a deafening mixture of Amazon war cries and barbaric shouts and jeers from the Scytherians.

Lexandra could see the bodies of the fallen littering the main campground, the side roads and the village square. She saw many Amazons among the dead, but she saw even more Scytherians. Clinging to this small hope, she pulled out her sword as she slid off the horse. Iolaus was beside her and gave her shoulder a quick squeeze before unsheathing his own weapon and following her into the fray.

"Amazons! My Sisters!" Lexandra cried out as Solerna and Teleah joined the battle, steel crashing against steel. "We will rally! I can already see victory in sight! Once, we fought for Dione, and what she taught us all! Now we must fight to save ourselves, our homes, and those we call family!"

This last part she said, glancing in Iolaus' direction. The hunter managed to send a wink her way even as he fought off two Scytherians.

A loud cheer went up from the war-weary women, and they seemed to gather strength from Lexandra's words. Solerna pulled her sword from the belly of an unfortunate Scytherian and stared in Lexa's direction. The Amazon was amazed that the former favorite of the Queen had returned to fight for the people who had planned to banish her this very day. Solerna launched another attack on three barbarians, slicing through the enemy like a whirlwind. Yes, she was amazed by what Lexa had done; she knew that she herself would never have done it.

Glancing around her at the fighting, the burning structures, and all the horrors she had seen in battle, Lexa readied her sword. Acting on pure instinct, she dove out of a Scytherian arrow's path and ran headlong into the belly of the beast that this battle had become.

The fighting was fast and furious and seemed to go on forever. Hours had passed, and still neither side was willing to concede defeat. The Scytherians were excellent fighters, but the Amazons were better. All they had to do was outlast their enemy and they would prevail.

Iolaus was responsible for dispatching several of the Scytherian warriors, and the fact that they ignorantly taunted the hunter about fighting on the side of these "insignificant women," only served to spur him on. Eventually abandoning his sword for his dagger, he made short work of the barbarians, including what would prove to be their leader, with a series of kicks and punches the likes of which the Scytherians had never seen.

Solerna fought with a maddening urgency. She fought with two thoughts in her mind: kill them all, and take the throne in Dione's absence. Her desire to claim the Queenship drove her to the center of the fighting, where she alone sent several Scytherians to Hades. The gleam in the warrior woman's eye was horrific to behold, and it was the last sight many of the barbarians saw before feeling the thrust of her sword.

Battling the enemy like a Fury, she sensed the man at her back before she heard him. Solerna spun around, sword raised high and then let out a stunned cry followed by a gasp as she watched the Scytherian retrieve his blade from her abdomen. The gleam in her eyes faded as she fell to the ground.

The Scytherian, hate and triumph clouding his senses turned straight into Lexandra's sword and quickly followed the fallen Amazon to the Other Side.

Lexandra ran forward and continued to fight. She was engaged in battle with another barbarian when she heard Iolaus' shouts of warning.

"Archers! From the trees!"

Again Lexandra sidestepped a flurry of arrows and managed to pull the Scytherian with her, causing him to catch several of the arrows in his chest.

Taleah and several other Amazons had taken a defensive stance in the square. The meeting hall was the only building still untouched and they intended to keep it that way.

Iolaus caught up with Lexa as she parried the thrust of yet another Scytherian sword. The hunter launched himself at the barbarian approaching Lexandra's back. After successfully pummeling him into the dirt, he jumped to his feet and stood for a moment, his back to Lexa's.

"You know!" he shouted to her as he delivered a roundhouse kick to the next warrior to approach him, "I can't see this lasting too much longer!"

"You think so?" she yelled in reply, her eyes never leaving the menacing face before her.

"Yeah! In fact, I'd say these poor guys are just about to drop!" The hunter punctuated the last word with a hook to his opponent's chin that knocked him flat on his butt.

"That's good to hear!" Lexa said, blocking every move the Scytherian made, much to his chagrin. "I didn't have dinner last night. I haven't had breakfast this morning. And I'm really starting to get hungry!"

With that she caught her enemy off guard and brought the hilt of her sword down onto his shoulder blade with a sickening crack.

Iolaus giggled at her comments. "Ah! A woman after my own heart!"

Then they were drawn in separate directions, Iolaus to put the finishing touches on a cluster of exhausted barbarians to his left, and Lexa toward the meeting hall, to help Teleah and the others.

Iolaus took a deep breath and scanned the burnt out village of Thessa. Little curls of smoke wound their way from the remains of huts and various other structures. At least 50 bodies covered the earth between where he stood and where the path led to the meeting hall. About one third of those bodies were moaning in pain, the rest would never make a sound again.

The enemy had been defeated, but at quite a cost for the Amazons. Iolaus shuddered to think how much worse it would have been, had Lexandra not returned to lead them. With her at the helm, every last Scytherian had been either killed or run out of the valley. With their leader among the dead, it was unlikely they would return.

The hunter heard movement and when he looked up he saw several of the Amazons who'd defended the meeting hall returning. Iolaus smiled in relief when he saw that Lexa was among them. He watched as she gave instructions to the other women, who then split up and began the grim task of sorting the dead and ministering to the wounded.

Lexa then turned weary but bright eyes to Iolaus and began to walk toward him. Iolaus sheathed his dagger and went to meet her. Thank the gods this was over and they had both made it out alive, he thought.

When he reached her, he held out his arms and she gratefully melted into them. "Iolaus...we did it."

"You were incredible," he replied, his smile brighter than Lexa had ever seen it.

Lexa tightened her embrace on her hunter and sighed in a mixture of exhaustion and utter contentment.

"Lexandra!!"

Teleah's voice suddenly shrieked across the camp. "Lexandra! The trees!!"

Tired but alert, the Amazon spun around in the hunter's embrace and her breath left her body with a violent whoosh. A silent scream came from her strangled throat as she looked down at the arrow protruding from her chest.

"NO!!!" Iolaus cried, catching Lexa as she fell back against him. In one fluid motion, he grabbed his dagger and threw with all his might, the blade embedding itself firmly in the neck of the Scytherian archer hiding near the trees. His body fell instantly in a lifeless heap.

"Lexa! Lexa!! Oh gods, no, please no!" Iolaus was murmuring as he fell to his knees, bringing Lexa to rest against his chest. "Teleah! Who here knows about medicines and healing?"

"Oh, no! Lexandra!" Teleah stopped just short of where the hunter knelt, her hands covering her face in horror.

"Teleah!" he prompted. "A healer? Is there someone here who can help her? Please!"

"I'm sorry Iolaus!" Teleah exclaimed as she and her sisters helplessly stood by and watched the hunter's blue eyes fill with moisture. "Zanthe knows medicines but she's been hurt badly herself. She'll be all right, but she's so weak she can't even move. And our healer, Kaira, is south of the valley, gone to visit a friend--"

"There has to be someone--" Iolaus pled, as he absently stroked Lexandra's hair.

Lexa watched Iolaus through glassy eyes. His voice weaved in and out of her consciousness. At times she only caught a word or two, but she could see he was upset. The expression on his beautiful face was drawn and his eyes were hollow. Suddenly, she felt sharp claws of pain rake across her chest and the world seemed to come back to her.

"Lexa! Please don't leave me! Not now...we just found each other!" Iolaus was pleading, the stinging tears breaking their dams and rolling down his face.

Oh, gods, she thought. I'm dying. But she wasn't ready. Iolaus was going to come live with her and Theron. They were going to be a family!

Damn! I guess the Fates win again.

"Iolaus..." Lexandra whispered, the act of speaking a tremendous effort. She spoke so softly that the hunter had to lean his head down to hear her. "M'sorry…"

"Sorry? About what?" Iolaus replied incredulously, as he caressed her cheek. "What have you got to be sorry about?"

"I never wanted to leave you," she sighed, then winced as a cough tore through her.

"Lexa, I'm the one that left, remember?" the hunter said, gently wiping away the small trail of red that trickled from the side of her mouth.

"But you came…back."

Another chest-racking cough. The hunter pulled her closer against his body. "Shhhh--"

"No…no, have to say this," Lexa continued, trying her best to smile around her pain. "When you returned to Thessa…I told you I never thought…you'd be back."

The Amazon took a deep, ragged breath.

"I lied. Always knew…you'd come back to me."

The hunter broke down.

"Then do the same for me! Please come back! You promised Theron you'd come back..." the hunter's words trailed off as he realized what Lexandra's green eyes were telling him.

"Can't…not this time. Love you Iolaus, but…have to go. Tell Theron…how much I loved being his…mother…if only for a short time…."

"Noooo," the hunter cried out weakly, helplessly.

"Iolaus…don't want to leave you crying," she said, almost inaudibly now. Another deep, painful breath. "Smile for me…my hero."

The hunter was certain that if he even tried to smile his face would crack into a thousand pieces. And yet, he had to do what she asked. It was the only thing he could do.

The beautiful but now slightly haunted smile crept across his face, bringing forth a small but contented sigh from the dying Amazon.

"Always loved…that…smile--"

She was abruptly cut off as a slicing hot pain ripped again into her chest, which to her eyes was nothing more than a huge red blur. A red blur which slowly dissolved into a silent, all-encompassing black void.

"Lexa?…Lexa??"

Iolaus watched as the bright light in her green eyes flickered and died. Reluctantly, his heart accepted what his mind knew to be fact. She was gone. Taking a deep, unsteady breath, he gently closed her eyes with a shaky hand. Then he kissed her still-warm lips one last time.

"I love you Lexa," he whispered as he held her body to him protectively. "A piece of my heart dies with you."

Teleah and the other Amazons watched solemnly as Iolaus buried his tear-strewn face in Lexandra's long, brown hair and wept silently.

Iolaus sat against the willow tree. The sun was low in the purple sky as he absently pulled at the blades of grass where he sat. Feeling the lush green grass beneath his hands, he remembered making love to Lexandra under this very tree just two days ago.

It seemed like an eternity had passed since then.

After the Scytherian siege in Thessa, Iolaus had remained at the camp, assisting the surviving Amazons and ensuring that all were given a traditional Amazon funeral. The last two fallen warriors to be honored were Dione and Lexandra.

Iolaus stood with Teleah and several other women as the torches were lit and raised to the pyre. The hunter looked longingly at the figure of Lexa, draped in robes of royal blues and purples, her brown curls strewn with tiny purple flowers and gold thread. Her broadsword rested against the length of her body, her hands folded over the hilt. She still looked so beautiful. A painful sob escaped his lips as he turned his head from Lexa and the encroaching flames that would take her body from him once and for all.

Later, when the ceremony was over, Teleah approached Iolaus.

"Iolaus, I want to say thank you for coming along with Lexandra and helping up fight the Scytherians," the Amazon said.

Iolaus thought she looked much older than she had just a few nights ago. The young warrior had seen and done much in the battle to defeat the barbarians.

"I'm glad I was able to help," the hunter replied earnestly, but with little emotion.

"I'm just sorry that Lexandra, and so many others, had to give their lives for our victory," Teleah said.

The hunter remained silent, eyes gazing off in the distance.

"Iolaus," the Amazon continued, "I know how much you loved her. And I'm sure that you think this a hollow victory knowing that Lexandra was to be banished--"

"Does seem kind of ironic," Iolaus said under his breath, his eyes never leaving the far-off horizon.

"Iolaus you must believe that not every one of us was poisoned by Solerna's jealousy and hate," Teleah remarked in a tone that caused the hunter to quickly face her.

"What do you mean? What does Solerna have to do with this?" Iolaus asked, his grief manifesting itself in a slow-burning anger. "Dione made the rules around here, didn't she? It was her decision--"

"Dione loved Lexandra," the girl countered. "Like her own daughter."

"Her daughter, eh? Well I guess that's why she ostracized her!" the hunter replied indignantly, turning from the warrior woman. "That's some kind of love!"

"Iolaus, please!" Teleah said reaching her hand out to the hunter's shoulder, stopping him before he could walk away. "You must understand that Lexa's banishment was not the Queen's idea."

"What?" Iolaus asked, turning back to face her. "Then whose…Solerna?"

Teleah nodded her head sadly. "Solerna had always been so envious of Lexandra's relationship with Dione. The knowledge that Dione wanted to make Lexa the next queen just drove her over the edge. She tried to undermine Lexa at every turn, always trying to make the queen think ill of her favorite."

"Guess she succeeded."

"No, Iolaus," she countered softly. "She didn't. After Dione was injured during the battle, she cried out for Lexandra. She said 'I can't believe I banished my daughter.' With her last breath she begged both Artemis and Lexa's forgiveness."

Iolaus shook his blond head in silence. His eyes held the sorrow he felt at the needless suffering and pain, not only from the battle with the Scytherians, but also the battle that had raged between the Amazons.

"I know that it won't bring Lexa or any of them back," Teleah replied. "But I just wanted you to know the truth, and I wanted you to know what a great hero Lexandra was to her tribe."

The hunter gazed upon the earnest features of the next Queen of the Amazons and felt a small portion of his grief melt away.

"Well, I should get back. Dacey and Bastian have to be told…and there's Theron…" his voice grew quiet as it trailed off.

"Thank you for everything, Iolaus," Teleah said, clasping the hunter's forearm in a warrior's grasp. "Oh! And one more thing…"

The young Amazon reached down and pulled a dagger from her boot and presented it to Iolaus.

"My knife," the hunter replied as he took it from her hand.

"I thought you might want it back."

"Hercules and I forged this knife together. I guess you could say it's kind of a symbol of our friendship," Iolaus explained as he resheathed the blade that had cut down Lexa's killer. "Thank you Teleah."

She raised her arms in the Amazon tradition, and after Iolaus did the same, he left the camp.

He had then returned to the cottage to tell Dacey and Bastian about Lexa. Dacey was inconsolable. Bastian of course insisted that Iolaus stay with them until he figured out his next move. Iolaus had obliged, but couldn't bring himself to sleep in the room he'd shared with Lexa, choosing instead to sleep on the floor in the children's room. He didn't really sleep much though. He paced half the night and watched Theron sleep the other half.

"She didn't mean to break her promise, little one," he whispered to the sleeping child. "She loved you too much to ever hurt you like that. Never forget how much she loved you, Theron. And how much I love you…"

Now, as the hunter leaned his head against the tree trunk, he swallowed the lump in his throat and closed his eyes.

The sound of footfalls in the grass caused him to look up.

"Iolaus, Dacey figured you would be out here," Bastian smiled as he approached, Iolaus' son in his arms. "Someone woke up and wanted to see you."

As the hunter took Theron from the older man, he couldn't suppress the smile that came to his lips. The boy was fully awake and looking intently into Iolaus' eyes as if he knew who he was.

"Hey there pal," he said as Theron gurgled gleefully and curled his tiny hand around Iolaus' finger. "That's some grip you've got there. When you get bigger you're gonna give your Uncle Hercules a run for his money, aren't you?"

Bastian was relieved to see that the hunter could still find such joy in his son in the midst of all the painful memories of the child's mother.

"How is Dacey?" Iolaus questioned, glancing up at Bastian.

The man placed his hands on his hips and let out a deep breath. "Well, she's doing a little better. I think it was the shock of the whole thing really. I mean, one minute Lexandra's here and happy, and the next..."

"Yeah...I know the feeling..."

"I'm sorry Iolaus," Bastian replied. "I didn't mean to stir up bad memories..."

"She died in my arms, Bastian," Iolaus said matter-of-factly, his gaze on his son's face. "Believe me, you can't stir up memories that I haven't even been able to banish yet."

The hunter let out a mirthless laugh as he realized what he'd said. "Banished...why do you think she did it, Bastian? Why would she put herself in danger to help those that had unfairly condemned her?"

"I think you know the answer to that, Iolaus," Bastian replied in a low voice. "You know because she was just like you...a warrior...loyal to her tribe no matter what the case may be..."

"Stubborn...rushing headlong into danger," Iolaus mused. "Yep, just like me."

"But you loved her for it, Iolaus," Bastian sagely replied. "As she loved you...foibles and all..."

"Foibles?" the hunter's head snapped up in the older man's direction. "Lexa told you I had foibles?!"

Bastian laughed at the amused expression on the hero's face. "Ah, I thought that would bring a smile to your face, my friend."

Iolaus laughed and shook his head.

"Don't let your laughter die, Iolaus," Bastian said. "That smile was what Lexandra loved about you most--that she did tell me."

A grin lit up the hunter's face as his mind drifted back to that night a few days ago when Lexa had said the same thing to him.

"Lexa's death was a consequence of honor, Iolaus," Bastian said. "She may be lost to you now, but her spirit will always live on, both in your love for her...and in the wonderful result of that love."

Iolaus looked down at Theron, who had drifted off to sleep in his arms, cuddled up against the warmth of his chest. "Well, buddy, guess it's just you and me, huh? For a while anyway?"

"Iolaus, Dacey and I want you to know that Theron is welcome to remain here with us...if the need should arise."

The hunter nodded. "Thanks Bastian. I'll remember that."

For Iolaus knew that the need would most certainly arise. No matter how much he might wish otherwise. If Lexa was still alive, they could make a go of it together...but now, how could he deny Theron a real home and family? Who would care for him when he was called away, which he surely would be.

Yes, Iolaus would definitely stay a part of his son's life, but he knew that the boy would be well-cared for and loved in Dacey and Bastian's home.

"So, do you know what you're going to do now?" Bastian asked, bringing him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm going to hang around here for awhile...that is, if you don't think Dacey would mind?" the hunter grinned.

"Are you kidding? She'll get to cook more food! She loves that. It's incredibly therapeutic for her, and well, it's good for my stomach as well," Bastian laughed.

"Good. I'm going to help the Amazons in Thessa rebuild too," Iolaus continued. "I think that with a little help, and after what she saw in this battle, Teleah will wear her Queenship well."

"I'm sure you're right."

"I've sent word to Hercules, as well," he said, rising from the grass, the baby yawning, but not waking. "He'll want to help the tribe too. And besides, I've got somebody very important I have to introduce him to."

The hunter kissed his son on the forehead, and looking once more at the willow tree, its weeping branches a reminder of a love lost and rediscovered, he turned and followed Bastian to the house.

Finis~

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