Chapter Three
"How did you find me?" Xena asked Hercules.
"You told me about this place remember, you said after your brother died and the village turned against you, you found this spot and built a cottage on it." Hercules said.
"Yea." Xena said going back inside. Hercules followed her in aware that she had ditched Gabrielle in Potedaia weeks ago. Iolaus was there trying to comfort her now. No one had seen Xena in weeks and finally he figured out where she could have gone.
"Xena, you can't hide yourself away from the world that just makes it worst, I know I lost all three of my kids and a wife twice." Hercules said.
"Than tell me how to make the pain go away." Xena said,"So many lives could have been saved if I could have just made the pain go away."
"Pain just doesn't disappear unfortunately, but what I can say is your anger will lessen as the days pass you'll grieve less and remember the happy times."
"Easy for you to say I don't have any happy memories of him what so ever, all I remember is this tiny sleeping baby, who I knew would never see me again, if someone were to ask me what my son was like I couldn't tell them." Xena said as tears slid from her eyes.
"Well you can say he was beautiful and simply happy." Hercules replied.
"All babies are just that." Xena said.
"And no matter what he'll be just that in your heart forever." Hercules said. Somewhere in their conversation as it progressed things had changed between them as kisses led to more than either expected, but neither could stop either. When it was over a sudden clarity hit Xena, but the pain was still there it was not eliminated as she had hoped, only hiding.
"Give the world a chance to make it right, Xena, you owe it to everyone who loves you." Hercules said after he had been there for as long as he could be. He had no wish to leave her and wanted her to come with him. He heard a village needed saving from a Cyclops.
"I don't know." Xena said.
"Xena, its been months and going back out into the world is part of the healing process, so come with me and slay a Cyclops like you have never slayed before." Xena nodded. She watched him pack her things and saddle Argo and soon they were headed from the market village of Letra. On the way there they avoided all talk about a relationship. They had agreed a long time ago that if they were apart than they could help more people, but their heart no longer cared as much for the people as much as it did for the love that could be. Their minds started to reason that it wasn't fair for heros to have to be denied love when everyone they saved had a right to it.
"Hercules promise me you'll never leave me." Xena whispered as her thoughts turned to Solan again.
"I promise." Hercules whispered back tightening his hold around her. He knew what it was like to grieve for a child and spouse. When Serena had loved him it had diminished his pain more. Now he had a chance to do for Xena what Serena had did for him. It made it even more worthwhile that they truely loved each other.
"For the winter let's go back to that cottage." Xena said.
"Wouldn't you rather spend time with your family?" Hercules asked.
"Maybe we'll see." Xena said. Soon they came upon Letra and were hardly there an hour before the Cyclops was subdued and than they moved on at Xena's request. It was long after they happened upon a town being harrassed by an army. There they found Gabrielle giving Iolaus hand. She hugged Xena tightly and tried to make her promise not to ever do that to her again, but Xena would say nothing only focus on the battle, which lasted longer than anticipated they were stranded in the village and the only place with room was the orphanage and an old man's house.
