Title: second chance

Authors : veronique

Email address:kyomine2002yahoo.fr

Category: Comedy romance

Pairing: Alexander/Hephaistion slash

Date:21/07/2005

Feedback: please, but if you don't like it, be constructive , I don't want to read sarcasm or snarks.

Archive: if you want I'm okay

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: I don't own them. They're characters belonging to Warner Brothers Pictures, to Oliver Stone, to my imagination, and to the ages. This is a work of a fan, done for no remuneration save the satisfaction of the work.

Special thanks to my beta Rothalion .

Summary: After Hephaistion's death Alexander had a second chance

Alexander had snapped awake just few moments ago in Mieza and he was wondering why and how he'd gotten there. He was in Mieza! Where, when he was young, he used to have classes under Aristotle. It was in the early morning, he could sense, the particular smell of a typical morning at Mieza. Alexander frowned, how he could be there? Was he dreaming? He pinched himself and it hurt. Everything seemed so real, he couldn't possibly be in a dream. He remembered the past night, how he drank to oblivion and fell asleep crying, grieving his lover's death. Three months had passed since Hephaistion had left him, and the pain was still so crippling, that he couldn't get over it nor he didn't want to be over it. He started to cry again at the memory of the fateful day.

"What's wrong?" asked a voice, surprising him. In his confusion and grief he hadn't heard anyone coming toward him. He looked up at the man and was shocked to see Aristotle standing in front of him. Alexander couldn't speak. Aristotle studied the tearful man before speaking again. "You are Anaxagoras, right? What happened to you?" Aristotle asked worriedly.

Alexander was having great difficulty trying to process what was happening. He hadn't spoken to Aristotle since he had executed his nephew. Aristotle simply continued to stare at him.

"Well, you will explain yourself to me later, our students will be arriving soon, it will be not very honorable for you, if they catch their new teacher in tears. My friend Zophiros, told me you were a good and wise in the strategies of war. Dry your tears, here they are." Aristotle said as he pointed the teenagers coming across the field. Alexander watched them and again he was in shock. First Ptolemy and Nearchus, quickly followed by Cassander and Eumenes, Perdicass and finally himself. They were all in front of him but as teenaged boys.

Aristotle smiled at them. "Take your places, here is Anaxagoras, a war strategist. He will give you lessons about that tedious subject and assist me as well."

The pupils looked at the reeling man with curiosity wondering why was so mute and why he looked so confused.

Then young Alexander spoke. "Welcome, I can't wait to attend your class." He said and then turned his head to Aristotle before adding, "Hephaistion will not be here today; his family asked him to come back home there is some emergency." He explained his face betraying his worries. Aristotle nodded.

Alexander's heart jumped as he heard his younger self talking about Hephaistion. He wasn't there but he was alive. If he stayed there he could see him again. He had difficulty restraining his tears and Aristotle told his new assistant that he didn't need him today and since he'd suffered a long trip from Athens, he should take a day of rest. He then explained where his room was.

Alexander obeyed and went back to the dormitory where his room was. He laid down on the bed completely in shock and hopelessly confused. Aristotle had mistaken him for a guy called Anaxagoras; but then he remembered that day, so long ago, when Hephaistion had been called in the middle of night to come back to his parents' estate. Hephaistion had been very worried cause the page couldn't tell him why his parents wanted him to go back quickly and the next day, Aristotle had been in a bad mood, because the assistant he waited for never came.

Alexander breathed deeply. He was back in time, he said to himself, but even if it sounded crazy, it seems it was all real enough. His heart began to beat stronger as the realization grew more certain inside him. The gods had that kind of power, so the gods had surely given him a second chance. A chance to save Hephaistion, a chance to change everything he regretted and the gods knew he had repented and for that repentance the gods themselves must have blessed him with this fantastic gift.

A dozen thoughts rushed his mind and the most powerful of them was the fact soon he would be with Hephaistion again. His love would be soon with him again. Alexander cried, but this time the cries were full of hope and relief.

tbc