Grigor cycled to the bus stop from his cottage just outside of River Heights. He was staying there as a favor from a friend of Nancy's. Grigor loved everything about his new home, particularly that it was only a few bus rides away from Nancy's house and the River Heights town square, where he hoped to find work.

After Nancy and her father had accompanied him back to the States, Grigor's days were filled with job-hunting. On this day, auditions were being held for The Quest for the Golden Fleece, a Greek play involving Jason and the Argonauts.

Grigor was reluctant to act again, but the audition was the first interview he felt confident about since his release from prison this summer.

He was to read for the role of Jason, prepared to be overly serious, as he was worried his usual silly nature might typecast him as Hermes yet again. Grigor feared this enormously. If he received the role of the messenger god, he would feel obligated to keep it for monetary security. He did not want to be stuck in a role which would bring back memories of everything he became involved with last year.

He went on stage in front of a small panel made up of the director, script adapter, and prop master. "Go ahead," said the director, who was a heavy woman in her 40s. Grigor took a deep breath, then began.

When Grigor had finished his lines, he walked silently from the stage, feeling confident that he would get a part, but unsure which.

Another actor went on stage immediately after. The director okayed him to start, and the young man read for the part of King Athamas. Grigor chuckled, as the young man reading was far too thin and high-voiced to play the part of a king. Grigor snuck out of the room during the middle of the monologue.

The next day, Grigor arrived at the theatre to check the casting results. Once there, the director handed him an envelope.

He opened his letter in earnest.

"To Mr. Grigor Karakinos,

We are pleased to offer you the role of JASON."

Grigor jumped in excitement. He was blown away to have received the lead, and relieved not to be given the role of Hermes. "Wow... Jason," he said, rubbing his jaw, mentally preparing for how he would approach the character.

Behind Grigor was the young man who read lines after him. He opened his envelope and jumped as well, exclaiming, "Hermes!"

"Wow, congratulations," Grigor said, low-fiving his now-fellow cast member.

"Speak for yourself," the new guy replied. "You got the lead! Have to say I'm jealous."

"All the parts depend on each other. We're all equally important," he assured his new friend. "What's your name?"

The young man open his mouth to speak, but the director walked by. "That's Hermes," she said gruffly. The two men exchanged puzzled looks. The director looked at the Hermes actor. "Be Hermes, embrace Hermes." She almost danced away after her strange confrontation.

The two actors looked at each other and laughed. "Wow, I've never worked with one of those types before," Grigor admitted.

"My first director ever," the other man said.

"Oh, wow, your first play," Grigor responded cheerily. He was glad to be making friends so early into the game. "Well, Hermes," Grigor jested, "I'll see you bright and early tomorrow for rehearsal." The two shook hands and went their ways. Grigor jumped on his bike and pedaled off towards the bus stop.

"I'm coming in," Grigor announced as he walked through the front door of the Drew residence.

Nancy came rushing down the steps the corner in fuzzy socks, slipping on the hardwood floor, and crashing into Grigor.

"Whoa, there," he said as he caught her and steadied her in his arms. The two spent a short moment embracing gently and watching each other's eyes.

Nancy coughed and regained her composure. "Uh, well, how'd it go?" she asked excitedly.

Grigor pulled the casting envelope from his back pocket. Nancy quickly opened it and screamed with excitement. "Grigor, this is great news! I'm so happy for you!"

"Thanks, Nancy," he said, giving her a hug. She smiled then tried to pull away, but he did not stop embracing her. Nancy liked Grigor, a lot. After they had kissed in Greece (and even long before that), she thought of Grigor every waking moment. However, because of settling his affairs and getting moved into a new home, followed by nonstop job-hunting, the two barely had time to share a meal in the past month. The hug was awkward, as it was almost their first since Greece.

"So," she said, hoping a conversation would make him ease up. "I made you something. It's sort of a celebratory gift."

Grigor released the hug and smiled. "You knew I'd get the part? I mean, I knew I'd get the part, but I'm glad you had faith in me too," he quipped.

She rolled her eyes playfully. She walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. "Take a seat," she said, pulling out a casserole dish. Grigor sat at the small, round table and awaited his surprise eagerly.

Nancy put some of the dessert into a bowl, then served it to Grigor.

"You didn't," Grigor said, looking up from the bowl to Nancy. "You made-

"Galak tuba reeko," she struggled. It was the dessert she and Grigor had shared last month in Greece when they were exploring shops together. The true name was galaktoboureko.

"Close enough," Grigor teased. He quickly took a spoonful and savored every second. "This is perfect!" he said, taking another bite.

"I'm glad you like it." Nancy felt proud of herself for making it without the help of her housekeeper Hannah.

"Mind if I take this home?" he asked of the rest of the casserole dish.

Nancy removed the dish from the table and placed it back in the fridge. "It'll be here for you the next time you come to visit, which, according to the recipe, better be soon. It doesn't last too long," Nancy shrugged.

The two discussed Nancy's schooling, as she had just started college. They talked about her classes for a while, then Nancy mentioned she had some homework to do. Grigor hugged her goodbye and headed home on his bike.

When Grigor arrived at the theatre for his first day of rehearsal, the director was positioning the actors on stage. "So, Hermes, we're going to have you standing on that tape X on the floor just beside Phrixus. Jason," she turned to Grigor. "That mark will be yours in the next scene."

"Yeah, uh, there's no chance of you calling me by my real name?" he asked of the director.

"No," the large woman began. "You are Jason! A hero! A fighter! A lover." She grabbed his shoulders and shook him.

"Jason, it is," he sighed.

"Good! Now, back to work!"

"I sure hope you put more than just 'Jason' on the playbill," he mumbled.

Between their stage time, "Jason" and "Hermes" sat backstage, studying their scripts.

Hermes's stomach gave a loud growl. "Man, all this Greek culture has me craving a gyro,"he laughed.

"I hear that," Grigor replied. "Or maybe some galaktoboureko," he smiled, remembering how good Nancy's Greek custard had turned out yesterday.

"Uh, gesundheit?" Hermes replied.

"Oh, man, you have got to meet my-" Grigor thought for a moment. He'd love to call Nancy his girlfriend, but he had yet to officially ask her. "-my friend," he stuttered. "She made a mean Greek custard yesterday. Anyone who appreciates food should try it."

"I'd be down for that."

"Great, I'll call her and see if we can't all grab some dinner at her place tonight," Grigor said, excited to be making connections so soon into his new gig.

"Sounds great to me," his new friend beamed.

"Alright, everyone, back to work, let's go!" called the director, clapping her hands to gather everyone up.

The cast took their places on stage and had a very successful rehearsal to its end at 5:30pm.

"Thanks, we'll see you then." Grigor hung up the payphone in the community theatre parking lot. As the Hermes actor exited the building, Grigor ran over to him. "Hey, ready to get your grub on?" he asked.

"You know it! Should we take two separate cars, or…?"

"Oh, actually," Grigor started, looking embarrassedly at his bike, which was locked to the base of the payphone.

His friend laughed and said, "We can strap it to the top of my car," and so they did, and they were on their way to Nancy's house.

"It's right up ahead here," Grigor said, motioning to the left.

His friend looked steadily more uncomfortable as they neared Nancy's home. "The blue one, right?" He sweated.

"The yellow one," Grigor said, unbuckling, ready to hop out once the car was parked.

Hermes parked and waited for Grigor to exit the car. Nancy came springing out of the house to meet him and his guest. When her eyes met those of Grigor's new friend, she froze.

"Ned?" she pondered quietly.

The driver's eyes squinted and he sneered.

"Whoa, wait, Ned?" Grigor asked, looking from Nancy to the Hermes actor, who began to back the vehicle away from the house. Nancy rolled her eyes and stormed back into her home.

"Wait, my bike!" Grigor called, running after the car.

Ned did not slow the vehicle, but backed furiously out of the driveway. He swiftly screeched out down the street.

"Uh, what just happened?" Grigor inquired as he watched his bike disappear out of the neighborhood.

Nancy and Grigor were sitting at the kitchen table. Grigor was unsure how to respond to the situation that had just occurred outside. He was across from Nancy, one hand on the table, the other shoving leftover galaktoboureko into his mouth.

Nancy had her head in her hands and she was staring at the table.

"Anything I can do to help?" Grigor asked with a full mouth.

"Grigor, you know I'd never try to hurt you," she said.

"Well, there was that one time you called me a grifter on stage in front of hundreds of people," he muttered.

"That was Ned, my ex-boyfriend," she sighed.

"Awkward." He took another bite. "That's the cast member I was telling you about."

"You should probably keep clear of him." Her voice broke a little and she sounded like she was about to cry.

"Oh," he paused. He looked humorously guilty at his bowl, then pushed the custard away quietly. He hadn't realized the situation had called for serious mode. He stood up and walked behind Nancy, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Wanna talk about it?" he asked, distressed to see Nancy on the verge of tears for the first time.

"I'm not into venting," she replied. "I'll be okay."

"Oh, come on, a little ranting is good for a person." Grigor hunched on his ankles on the floor beside Nancy's chair. "What's up?" He smoothed a hand over her back.

Nancy took a deep breath and waited for the tears to clear before starting.

"Ned and I broke up months ago, after I found out he had been keeping secrets." Grigor listened intently. "I found a journal." Nancy fell back in time, into the current of memories overflowing her mind, as she relayed the events that had taken place between her and Ned Nickerson.

"Merry Christmas, Nan," Ned smiled. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"To you too," the teenage detective beamed.

"Ready to head out?" Ned asked. The couple was at a Christmas party which was coming to an end. Nancy nodded and the two headed for the door. Donned in festive attire, they walked hand-in-hand inside the town hall where the party had taken place. The two received many holiday wishes and hugs on their way out. They shook hands with neighbors and posed for pictures, and even received a large present from a friend.

As the couple neared the door at last, her boyfriend said, "Actually, can you go warm up the car?" He handed Nancy the keys. "I'll be right back," he said, motioning to the restrooms.

"Sure," Nancy said, as she exited the building for the parking lot. It was dark outside and clouds shaded the moon. Nancy shivered and felt the first sprinkles of rain on her face. She propped her gift on one knee and opened the car's trunk. As the hatch lifted open, a box of belongings spilled out, among them a journal which had fallen open face-down. "Oh, great," Nancy sighed, shoving the present into the trunk and bending down to gather the items which were now soaking in small puddles on the asphalt.

As she collected the slightly-wet notebook, Nancy dusted off the pages on which it had fallen open. She noticed a familiar word. "Melina Rosi," was written in thick pen. The girl wore a very confused face, as she read the page. It was handwritten: Ned's handwriting.

"I called Melina Rosi just a moment ago, pretending to be a member of Kronos. I think my threats scared her enough. Maybe now Nancy will get out of there, and hopefully fired so she has little choice to stay. The Greek mafia is not something to take lightly. She's going to get herself killed one day. This is all I can do for now, but I need to talk to her- need to convince her to stay home next time."

Lightning cracked and the storm broke. Rain showered down and soaked Nancy's cocktail dress and ruined her hair and makeup. As she re-read the diary entry in awe, Ned approached the car. He strutted up, then saw her reading the entry and slowed.

"I was going to show it to you after New Year's. I was collecting my thoughts and getting ready to explain everything after the holidays."

"Well, you better start explaining now," she scorned, slamming the journal shut in her hand.

"Nancy…" Ned sighed. He had hoped to be in the company of Nancy's father for backup when this conversation came around. He sighed and continued. "You're growing up. You're about to graduate high school. Don't you think it's time you start focusing on something other than detective work? You could get yourself killed one day." He winced at the thought.

"It's my passion, Ned. If I have to put myself in a little danger to help innocent people, it's worth the risk.

"Is it? Not only are your cases getting more reckless by the day, but you're also never here for me to make sure you're safe."

"So that's what this is about," Nancy pushed her tongue against her cheek and shook her head. "You're upset that I'm always gone, always looking out for other people, never enough time for you?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," he said, moving closer to her. "Forgive me for wanting to see my girlfriend every now and then, but she's always off in another state or country, worrying about other people."

"So you were willing to sabotage my case? Willing to compromise people's liberty? Grigor could have ended up in jail for 20 years if I weren't there to solve the case. Xenia would be walking free, Niobe wouldn't be back to work today..." Nancy felt hot tears roll down her cheeks, which were unseen by Ned due to the rain. Nancy gritted her teeth and squeezed her fists as the ink dripped from the soggy pages. She dropped the journal and turned away. Ned reached for her shoulder, but decided against it. Maybe she just needed time.

"We're through, Ned," she heaved.

"W-what?" he asked, now putting his hand on her back. "Nancy, let's just talk about thi-"

"We're done!" she said, running from the parking lot toward the neighborhoods, as the rain turned to snow.

Ned was left soaking in the cold, arm outstretched, heart heavy.

Nancy sat up in her chair and put a hand to her cheek, which was hot with emotion. "Everything I stand for didn't mean a thing to him. My purpose on this earth is my detective work. My dream is to help other people at any cost and he tried to get in the way."

Grigor frowned as he rubbed her back, then her knee. "I'm sorry you had to deal with that, Nancy," he offered.

"I'm sorry," she faked a smile. "This is stupid." She rubbed her face.

"No," he comforted her. "No, it's not. Nancy, you're right. Your greatest strength is solving mysteries. You're a natural and it's what you belong doing. And if that guy couldn't see that, well, he wasn't worth your time." He took her hand and kissed it, then smiled up at her.

"That's all behind me now," she assured Grigor.

He knew this meant that she had recovered and cleared space in her heart for another boyfriend. "You know, Nancy, we haven't see a lot of each other since we got back to America," Grigor began. His palms started sweating a bit, so he took his hand off her back, but left the other on her knee, which he squeezed gently. "I was thinking-"

"Has anyone seen my pager?" asked Carson Drew as he came down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Grigor shot up nervously to a standing position. "People still have pagers?" he asked, hoping Nancy's father had not seen him so close to his daughter.

"Oh, Grigor! Haven't seen you in a while," he said, reaching to shake the actor's hand. Grigor shook it firmly. Carson looked down at his now-sweaty hand. When Grigor turned back to Nancy, Carson moued and wiped his hand on his suit jacket.

"Well, I'd better be on my way home," Grigor said.

"I'll walk you out," Nancy offered. The two walked from the kitchen together together, leaving Carson to peruse the room for his pager.

"Thanks for listening," Nancy said, taking Grigor's hand.

"No problem," he replied, weaving his fingers between hers and rocking their hands a bit. "I'll see you later." He squeezed her hand before he let it go, and he was off once more for his new home, on foot.

The next day, Grigor showed up for rehearsal. He decided to be as cool as ever. He was unsure of all the details of Ned's side of the story. He knew that Ned crossed the line when he tried closing Nancy's case, but Grigor, who was well-practiced in reading people, did not sense an evil heart in Ned. Grigor took a deep breath and entered the backstage locker room.

As Grigor finished getting dressed, Ned entered. "So," the Hermes actor began, throwing his duffle bag down harder than he needed to. "How long have you and Nancy been together?" He started changing into his stage outfit, agitated by every snag and wrinkle.

"Oh, well, we're not together-together. I mean, we are- maybe? I guess we're- it's complicated," Grigor shrugged.

Ned simmered in his anger. How could Grigor be so cool in the situation? Despite his discomfiture, there was the smallest fleck of hope in Ned. Because Grigor had yet to ask Nancy to be his girlfriend, there was a chance Ned could rekindle his relationship with the teen detective before Grigor made a move.

He decided that, when Nancy came for opening night, he would try to talk with her and explain himself.

Rehearsals went on awkwardly. In the scene with Jason and Hermes, things were uncomfortable, but Ned tried to remain civil toward Grigor, even though he hated the idea that the Jason actor might try to woo Nancy. As long as Grigor and Nancy's relationship remained platonic, he had a shot. Ned reminded himself every day during rehearsal to look forward to seeing Nancy, no matter how smug and unbearable he thought Grigor was.

On opening night, Nancy had tickets for a seat in the front row near stage left. She was instructed to sit here by Grigor, whose action took place mostly on this side. She took her seat as the play's introductory fanfare began to play.

Ned came on stage in full Hermes garb, and Nancy stared at her lap.

"Tonight, we tell you the daring tale of a band of great heroes, the murderous plots surrounding them, their daring rescues, and-" his eyes found Nancy in the audience. His voice was caught in his throat for a moment. "...and love," he finally managed.

Nancy worked hard not to look up at him, though she could feel his eyes on her. Ned paused, hoping she would look up at him. When he realized she would not, he continued his narration.

The eventful play carried out very well. Nancy enjoyed it thoroughly and even thought that Ned was doing a fine job as Hermes. She admired how Grigor looked in his Jason costume, which took her back to memories the Hermes outfit he wore in Athens.

With every appearance Grigor had on stage, he found a way to incorporate Nancy. When executing a lengthy speech, he would stare longingly at her for a portion of it that he felt might touch her heart. Each time he had a battle scene, he would flash a quick smile at her as if to ask, "How'm I doing?"

Nancy knew this behavior was rather unprofessional and that it jeopardized Grigor's role, but she almost didn't care. She liked his small forms of flirtation and her cheeks went hot with every attempt he made to reach out to her from the stage.

In contrast, Ned had watched Grigor from the wings and scowled each time the Jason actor made a move on Nancy. He seethed hotter each time Grigor broke character to further his advances.

When the story of Medea came up in the play, more memories came flooding back to Nancy. She, her father, and Grigor had watched Medea in Athens when she returned to retrieve Grigor from prison. It was just after the play that they had kissed for the first time.

Toward the end of the current performance, Medea asked of Jason, "May I join the Argonauts in your quest?"

"For my lady," Grigor paused and shot a cool glance at Nancy. "Anything." He winked at her. Nancy blushed as the audience members on either side of her smiled and raised their eyebrows.

That was the last straw for Ned. He burst onto the stage, Hermes garb and all. The other actors on stage looked confused as Ned rushed past them. He walked quickly to Grigor and shoved him in the chest. "What's your problem, man?" he said to Grigor.

"Oh, my gosh." Nancy slid down in her seat and covered her face with her hands.

"Hey, back off!" Grigor said, catching himself from falling, then shoving Ned back even harder.

Ned grabbed Grigor's robe and swung at him. He landed a punch square on Grigor's jaw.

The other players gasped, and backed offstage. Ned and Grigor burst into a furious fist fight, grabbing and punching each other. Ned was giving it all he had, but Grigor was holding back, obviously a different weight class from his foe.

After about a minute of throwing punches, Grigor finally gave it his all and punched Ned hard in the nose. Ned fell backward onto the stage, scraping open an elbow open and grunting harshly. "You think you have the right to try to come between us after you ruined your shot?" Grigor rubbed his sore jaw. "She told me everything."

"Oh, did she?" Ned barked from the floor. His nose and elbow began to bleed.

Grigor rolled his shoulders to crack them, still clenching his teeth and fists.

"I did it for her!"

Nancy peeked from behind her hands.

"For her?" Grigor laughed. "Well, what a nice sentiment. Ruining her dreams, her youthful chance at adventure- to call her back home because you missed her? Well, tough guy, I guess you never thought to go with her- to see the world by her side, to help her solve mysteries in person."

"I never wanted any of that," Ned spurned. "My life is here- her life is here!"

"Her life was out there," he gritted and pointed toward the door harshly, every muscle in his arm flexing in anger. "And you tried to stop it. Luckily she was the bigger and braver person, and she was strong enough to keep her dreams alive, no thanks to you."

"Nancy's not invincible, and I could see that! Her father could see that. I stood in his way once, but I did some growing up and realized it was time for her to come home. I… I was afraid… one day she'd never come back from a case." He stood up and dusted off.

Grigor's eyes moved rapidly along Ned, trying to study him for a lack of sincerity, but he found none.

"I auditioned here to move on and explore new things. I was left with nothing and I had to make a new me. When things fell apart, I had to pick myself up again," Ned said in a calmer tone. "This was supposed to be my outlet. If I could pretend to be someone else, maybe it wouldn't suck so much to be Ned."

Grigor stood up straight and lowered his fists. He knew that feeling all too well.

"The truth is, it should have ended long before it did. I'm sorry, Nancy." Ned jumped off the stage in front of Nancy's seat. "It wasn't fair to me or you, for us to stay together."

Nancy stood up, but the two lingered stiffly in silence.

"What will you do?" Nancy finally asked Ned.

He looked her in the eyes desperately, hoping to see a sign that she still felt for him. Her expression held only sadness for him. He dropped his shoulders and gripped his split elbow. "I'll figure something out," he almost whispered.

Nancy rubbed his shoulder sympathetically. "You always do."

Ned nodded and walked out the side doors of the auditorium.

The audience began talking among themselves at this break in action. Loud discussion filled the theatre. As it did, Grigor walked to the edge and hopped down to speak with Nancy at her seat.

"I'm so sorry, Nancy." Grigor was completely embarrassed that he left himself get carried away and enter into a petty fight.

"You were only defending yourself."

Grigor's head hung low.

"And me," Nancy added.

Grigor looked up into her blue eyes with his.

"Thanks for standing up for me." She radiated rectitude.

"So, before any other madness ensues," he began, taking her hand. "Can we make this thing official, or what?"

Nancy bit her lip and smiled softly.

"Will you be my girlfriend?" he asked.

"Absolutely," she said.

Grigor embraced her, arms around her back, and he turned his head slightly to kiss her.

Their lips had barely met when another cast member who had played an Argonaut rushed on stage. "Lord Jason!" the actor cried. "There is no time for romantic affairs!"

Grigor looked over at the director, who shot him a scornful glare. She gestured toward the Argonaut. Grigor knew that she had sent the actor onstage to keep the show moving along.

"You're right," he said, unsheathing his prop blade. "Not when there's adventure afoot!" He kissed Nancy's hand hard, then leapt back on stage. The girl returned to her seat, cheeks rosy at the confused gawking of those sitting around her.

The play went on, thanks to the director and Grigor picking up on her cue.

The next morning, Grigor returned to the auditorium out of sheer bravery, as he was almost certain he was going to lose his job.

The rest of the cast was gathered in a circle, reading a newspaper. "Hey, Jason, the reviews are in," said a fellow actor, making way for Grigor to enter the group.

In the local paper, critics raved over the dramatic and unsuspected fight between Hermes and Jason. Grigor's acting was praised beyond his encounter with Ned, however.

Grigor read it aloud:

"While the fight scene proved rather arbitrary to the plot, it was a refreshing break of action. Even without this wild scene, and the actor's obvious flirtations with a ladyfriend in the audience, the play was still extremely enjoyable, well-written, and fantastically played- particularly by Jason. This actor stole the show with a clear understanding of Greek theatre and what it takes to be a hero."

Grigor smiled as he finished reading the review. Another cats member spoke up, "And that's not all. Look at this," she said, pulling out her smartphone. She brought up the homepage of Theatre Daily, the online news site. Grigor took the phone. There was an article titled, The Quest for the Golden Actor. Upon selecting this link, Grigor was brought to a flood of critiques about the play. He was commended for his portrayal of Jason, his passion, and his brazen attitude adding to the fullness of the character.

Grigor could only stand there and smile as he scrolled through the reviews.

"Jason!" a voice called from across the room. Grigor looked up to see the director marching down the center aisle of the theatre towards him. Grigor handed the phone back to his fellow cast member, then braced for the worst. The director stopped a little too close to Grigor for comfort. She huffed, "You done goofed last night."

"Yes, ma'am," he responded, flinching.

"Don't do it again!" she gnarled, then turned to the troupe. "Let's get to work, people! Where's my new Hermes? Let's go, go, go!" she shouted, clapping her hands for the crew members to dash to get dressed and take their places for rehearsal before the next showing tonight.

Grigor rushed off with them, climbing onto the stage and heading toward the locker room. He looked back at the auditorium before disappearing behind the curtain. He imagine packed seats and a roaring crowd. He felt a surge of electricity go up his chest at the idea of a standing ovation. He turned away and crashed into something. It wasn't a painful collision, but a surprising one nonetheless. Nancy was standing just behind the curtain, and she was now mouth-to-mouth with Grigor, her nose smashed sweetly against his. Grigor's lips curled up as he enjoyed the childish kiss.

Nancy released him with a "muah!" followed by, "Just wanted to wish you good luck tonight. I'll be here." She jogged away, her titian hair bouncing on her shoulders. She quickly turned back. "And don't break the fourth wall this time, okay?" She shook her head before leaving for the parking lot through a backstage door.

Grigor was left without words, as he chuckled and rubbed his nose. He entered the men's locker room and changed into his Jason costume. He walked to his tape marks on stage and gazed into the empty seats. The hero looked out over his domain, more eager than ever for what may come.