AN: Iphigeneia is 5 here. Darko is 7. Enjoy!

Iphigeneia stormed into the house, little fists balled at her sides and brows knit together in fury. Darko came in shortly after her, sobbing. And, when his parents looked closer, bruised and bleeding.

"Darling! Are you all right? Come here," Hephaestion hugged and shushed his son before taking him into the washroom to clean up. As he calmed his son and nursed his wounds, Alexander and Iphigeneia followed him into the room.

"Neia, what happened? You didn't hit him, did you?" Alexander asked.

The young girl shook her long, blond curls, "No, Father."

"Then what happened?"

"The boys in school were picking on him, Father. Two bigger boys."

"Why?"

"Because of his limp and because you and Momma are both boys."

Hephaestion's back stiffened and Alexander froze in shock as well.

"Okay... then what happened?"

"I hit them, Father."

"Neia, I am proud of you for protecting your brother, but violence is never the answer."

"But you hit strange men who look at Momma funny," the girl said innocently.

Hephaestion snorted from where he was bandaging their eldest's knee, and Alexander shot him a glare.

"I-I do that to protect your Momma's honor, Sweetheart," Alexander fumbled for a reply.

"What's "honor," Father?"

"Honor is like- it is the respect he gets from others and what others think of him, Sweetheart."

"Oh," she bent her head, contemplating this, "Do I have honor, Father?"

"You will when you are older, Neia. You have to get bigger like Momma and I first."

"Okay, Father," she smiled.

"I am very proud of you, Neia, but the next time something like that happens, come get Momma and I, all right?"

"I promise."

"Such a good girl," he kissed her forehead, "I love you."

Neia hugged her father, reaching around him as far as her little arms could go, "I love you, Father."

Later that night, Hephaestion caught his husband around the waist from behind, "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Defending my honor when we were younger."

"Yes, well, Cassander deserved it."

"Yes, he did. But did you have to lock him in your mother's snake closet?"

"His two weaknesses: the dark and snakes. Why not? Like I said, he deserved it."

Hephaestion laughed loudly, but it was muffled by Alexander's deep kiss.

"I love you, Phaiston. I will defend your honor until the day I die."

"Thank you. But don't you think I can defend my own honor?"

"That's the thing, Love. You shouldn't have to."