The months went by quickly and soon Brisies' stomach was, huge. During Brisies' sixth month, Achilles had to go to war. If he didn't, Phtia would probably be attacked. Odysseus came to bid Brisies goodbye and sail on with Achilles and the Myrmidons. Achilles walked up to her and held her close.

"I love you, with everything my body possesses, to the ends of the earth and back again. If I didn't have to leave I wouldn't, and you know that." Brisies, her eyes watering with tears, nodded silently. Achilles embraced her and buried his face in her hair. He loved the scent of lavender. It always reminded him what he was fighting for. Brisies clung to him, not wanting to let go, but knowing she had to. Finally Achilles pulled back.

"I have to go. I love you, stay strong." Brisies nodded and as he turned to go, she yelled out "Achilles!" He turned around as she ran to him.

"Promise me one thing, please" Achilles nodded. "Promise me you will come home, alive to see your child grow tall and strong." Achilles, his eyes watering with tears nodded, embraced her once more, then boarded the ship.

Brisies was strong, of this he was sure of. He knew she would be ok but to ensure that Brisies would be all right, Achilles had hired a woman to take care of her. Her name was Penelope. Penelope was a bright girl, about 25 or so. She had curly blonde hair and sea green eyes that saw almost everything. She was a little shorter then Brisies and a little plumper too, but she was good natured and happy-go-lucky, and she would make a good companion for Brisies. Brisies spent her days sitting on the balcony, waiting for Achilles' ship to come in. Day in and day out, ships with white sails would come into the harbor, but none with a black sail. Another month went by, and another, and Achilles still wasn't home. Brisies became worried, but Penelope, Thetis and Cassandra were there to help her through. Her ninth month was drawing closer and Brisies' stomach budged. Still, she sat on the balcony looking for a ship with black sails.

Brisies would stay on the balcony day in and day out. One day, Cassandra came up to see Brisies. She had been away, visiting her mother in Sparta and Brisies was glad to see her.

"Oh my!" exclaimed Cassandra, "You have grown." Brisies smiled.

"Achilles still isn't home," she said her smile fading quickly. Cassandra sighed.

"You miss him don't you?" Brisies nodded, her eyes starting to water. Cassandra hugged her close. "My friend, you are strong, he will come home." Brisies smiled.

"Thank you" she said. Cassandra smiled and they spent the rest of the afternoon talking on the balcony.

One day, during winter, when the air nipped around the palace, Brisies saw it. A ship coming over the horizon with sails as black as night. Brisies called Penelope and Thetis to her side and they watched the ship dock. Many men got off of it, running to their wives, and families. Then Brisies saw him, there was no mistake that it was he. She stood up and yelled at the top of her lungs "Achilles!" He turned, smiled, waved, and started to run as fast as he could up to the palace. Brisies was waiting for him when he reached the door. He embraced her as best as he could then looked at her stomach.

"My, how you've grown." She smiled.

"Penelope thinks there's two on the way." Achilles looked from Penelope to Thetis to Brisies and laughed. It was then Brisies felt it.

"Penelope, I think we should go to my chamber." She smiled at Achilles and kissed him. "The next time you see me I will be holding your child." Achilles smiled and watched them walk away to the birthing room. Odysseus came up behind Achilles and patted him on the back.

"The great Achilles, husband, and father. That's something I thought I would never see."

"That's because you, Odysseus, are a man of little faith," replied Achilles. Odysseus smiled. Let us drink some wine as a toast to your beautiful wife and to even more beautiful children. Achilles nodded and they went out onto the terrace and toasted Brisies and Achilles.

Achilles paced outside the door, running his hands through his hair about once a minute. He looked at Odysseus.

"How long was your wife in labor?"

"About 12 hours," he replied casually, sipping a goblet of wine. Achilles kept pacing. He could hear Brisies panting and crying out in pain every so often. He could also hear Penelope's soothing voice. "Breathe me lady breathe." Finally after Brisies screamed so loud, Achilles was sure the people in Athens had heard it, he pounded on the door.

"What in the name of the gods is happening?" he demanded. He heard Thetis' voice on the other side of the door.

"Achilles, my dear boy, this takes time she's doing just fine, but there's two." This stopped Achilles in his tracks. He looked at Odysseus.

"My friend, do you hear that, there's two!" Odysseus just smiled, patted his friend on the back and went back to sipping his wine.

After what seemed like an eternity to both Achilles and Brisies, Achilles walked into Brisies' chamber. She was holding two small bundles, wrapped in dark blue. Achilles' eyes went wide, and he smiled, they were both boys. Achilles smiled and sat on the edge of the bed and softly kissed Brisies. She smiled, tired from the birth.

"What shall we name them?" she asked weakly. Achilles hadn't thought of that, but he looked down at the two boys. They were as different as could be. One was a large boy with brown eyes and big hands and feet. He was turning around in his blanket, eager to get out into the world. The other boy was smaller, with delicate hands and feet. He had blue eyes and was looking around, not ready to go out into the world yet, but just to watch and examine. Achilles smiled. Then Brisies spoke.

"I think we should name the little one Patroclus, after your cousin. He does look like him, doesn't he?" Achilles nodded. "The bigger one, reminds me so much of Hector, brown eyes, eager to get out into the world, and a mess of brown hair." Her eyes stung with tears as she remembered her cousin. Achilles nodded.

"Patroclus and Hector," he said, as if trying it out a new word. "I like it." Brisies smiled.

"I knew you would."

The city was ecstatic. The word that Achilles had two sons spread like wildfire over the town. It swept the town like an infection. People came from all corners of the city to give Brisies and Achilles gifts for the boys. The carpenter gave them two cribs, molded out of red oak. The seamstress gave them the softest cotton blankets. The potters made urns in commeration of the birth.

Cassandra gave the most amazing gift of all though. She sewed a cloak for each boy. A midnight blue one for Hector, for he was the elder, and a white one for Patroclus. Each had a quality to it that Cassandra wouldn't explain to Achilles or Brisies. They seemed to shimmer in the light and fade away in the darkness. It was almost like they were invisible. They were made for men though, so the boys wouldn't be able to wear them until they were older. Little did Brisies and Achilles know that they would need them much sooner then they thought.