This story is not intended to violate any copyrights held by MCA, Universal Studios, or Renaissance Pictures concerning Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. This story is for fun and no money was made from it.
“Iolaus?”
“Yeah, Herc.”
“What would you do if I died, if I had to leave you?”
“Never going to happen. You’re half-god. You can’t die. You won’t die.”
“But, what if I did, what would you do?”
Hesitation. He had never given it any serious thought. Hercules would live long after he was gone. He believed that with all his heart, all his soul.
Answering.
“I’d grieve. My heart would be broken. I’d be changed, but the same. I’d go on with our quest. I’d fight the good fight for us both as long as I could.”
A faint smile on the gentle features of the strongest man in the world.
A long moment, then another question.
“Herc?”
“Yeah, Iolaus.”
“What would you do if I died? I mean, if I died for real and you couldn’t bring me back?”
Hesitation. He had thought often of the day when Iolaus would leave him forever, beyond his ability to pull him back. It was something he thought of everyday, dreamed of more often than he would admit, even to himself.
“I’d grieve. My heart would be broken. The best part of me would be gone. I don’t know if I could go on with the good fight but I would try, for your sake and the sake of all we believed in. I’d be forever changed, never the same.”
Pausing. Then, something he’d always thought but never said.
“You are the strong one, Iolaus. You always have been.”
Quiet.
Iolaus, his voice strained with emotion, as he turned on his side to settle into sleep.
“That’s a whole lot of what ifs, Herc.”
Hercules looked across the fire at the biggest person he had ever known.
“Yeah, Iolaus. A whole lot.”
Lying down, he turned away from Iolaus, crossing his arms across his chest.
“Goodnight, Iolaus.”
“Goodnight, Herc. See you in the morning.”
finis
Melinda is not online at this time, but if you would like to give her feedback on this story, email it to me, Quiet Wolf, and I will pass it on to her.
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