Of Unexpected Invitations

"True friends bring out the best in you."

- Chris T. Atkinson

When Cassandra got up the next morning, Meg was already in the kitchen, preparing warm, herbal drinks and putting something edible together for the late breakfast.

"Good morning," Cassandra greeted her. "Need a hand?"

"No thanks, I'm pretty much finished. You want some?" Meg offered a steaming cup the her, which Cassandra gratefully accepted.

"So Herc did give you his gift," Cassandra nodded towards the necklace dangling below her collarbones. Meg placed her hand over the small stone pendant with a gentle smile on her lips.

"So he told you about it, huh?" Meg asked as she turned back to her tasks

"Yes, I guess he was too excited not to share his find," Cassandra shook her head fondly.

"That sounds like him alright," Meg laughed, preparing another cup of the herbal brew. It was obviously for Herc as she left it to brew and took herself another cup, which was obviously her own.

"Herc's not up yet? And Icarus neither?" Cassandra took a sip from her tea. It was strong, but fragrant: Cassandra did like the taste and it did help with her ghost of a hangover.

"Yeah. I left him to sleep, he seemed like he had a bit too much to drink," Meg told her, shaking her head. She sat opposite to Cassandra and took a sip of her own tea as well.

"Sorry about that," Cassandra felt slightly guilty.

"Nonsense, don't be. For a guy his size, he really can't hold his drink. So it doesn't really matter how much or most of the time, how little he drinks, he'll get a hangover in either case," Meg laughed gently.

"Poor Herc, he's such a lightweight when it comes to drinking. Which is rather funny, considering he's not lightweight in size. Like at all," Cassandra mused and the two women shared a small laugh together.

"Yeah, it really is. Herc is really happy to meet you guys again. He's been feeling a little down ever since Phil moved back to his island, even if he won't admit it," Meg pointed out, looking at Cassandra.

"Hmm, I can imagine. The goatman was there for him for many years. But it's safe to say I'm happy to see him as well. Not so sure about Icarus, though. So how is it, being the fiancée of the most famous man in Greece?" Cassandra asked, casually sipping her drink.

"I guess it has it's perks," Meg laughed it off and but then continued with a more serious note: "But I actually love Herc for himself, for his personality: he's the kindest person I've met. I love it how he sees good in everything and everybody. Even in me, when I was in the darkest place in my life."

"That's good to hear. I mean, I didn't take you as the usual gold-digger kinda type, but he really needs somebody who likes him just the way he is. From what I've gathered in our conversations, he seems really happy with you. And it's obvious he's head over heels in love with you," Cassandra entrusted out.

"Well, that 'taking a dip in the river of Styx and fetching my soul'-stunt was enough to convince me," Meg huffed out a dry laugh, still shaking her head in mild disbelief.

"That's Herc for you, he did always have a flare for the dramatic," Cassandra shrugged, giving her a lop-sided smile. Meg laughed out, shaking her head.

"Oh, he really does, I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed that. But on the more serious note, I want him to be happy. I sometimes wonder if he will regret choosing me instead of immortal life," Meg sighed as she sipped her tea again.

"You're kidding me, right? When we met at Athens and he talked about you, he literally told me that living without you, even as a God, would mean nothing without you," Cassandra explained to her, taking a piece of bread and dipping it to olive oil. 'Delicious.'

"Is something else bothering you?" Cassandra frowned as she studied the woman before her. Even if Cassandra didn't know her that well, she had a worried look on her face, her brows set in a perplexed manner. Something was obviously weighing her down.

"Is it that obvious?" Meg huffed out a dry laughter. "Hades. He came to pay us a nightly visit before Herc went to Athens. And when Herc was gone, he came again to see me alone. He's obviously up to something."

"Nightly visits from the lord of the Dead? Yeah, that does sound kinda worrying. Hades' is a bully, he doesn't like to be forgotten, my guess would be that he wants to remind you that's he's still here. Which means, you still matter to him at some level. Which is kinda creepy, when you think about," Cassandra frowned as she pondered out loud. Meg felt her skin crawl: she had played similar thoughts in her own head, but hearing someone confirming them made them feel more real.

"He talked about some kind of plan of his. I don't know, he didn't elaborate, but Hades' plans never sound promising, now do they?" Meg shot Cassandra a knowing look, who had to agree with her reasoning.

"Yeah, it does seem like he's up to something," Cassandra concluded, remembering all the unpleasant accounts when she had met the Lord of the Dead.

"Yeah. Figures," Meg muttered back, still lost in her own thoughts.

"I know it's not what you probably wanted to hear, but I wouldn't worry about it too much. I mean, no matter what he's got in his mind, worrying about it beforehand won't make you feel any better," Cassandra awkwardly patted Meg's hand.

"I suppose you're right. Thanks," Meg rewarded her with a small smile.

"Herc has confidence that the two of you can work out anything coming at your way," Cassandra then told her.

"That sounds like my Wonderboy. His endless optimism is one of the things I loved he most," Meg replied, but before she could finish her sentence, Hercules had made his way to the kitchen as well. Judging by his face, Meg knew he had a headache.

"What are you talking about?" he then asked, grimacing at his headache.

"Good morning to you as well, my love. I was talking about the things I most love about you." Meg teased him. "There's tea brewing for you as well. Extra strong, I think you'll be needing it."

"Thanks," Hercules simply replied her, taking a long sip of the tea, breathing out in relief. 'Much better.'

"You know me so well," he then replied Meg, kissing her on neck.

"Mhm, you still reek of wine!" Meg complained playfully, making a face.

"Love you as well, honey," Hercules sat next to her, placing his hand on her thigh.

"If you two want some alone-time, I can get going," Cassandra mockingly told them, more than a little humored by their open show of affection for each other, but for once in her lifetime, wondering where Icarus dawdled.

"Naw, don't mind us. This is probably why Phil moved back to his island, come to think of it," Meg playfully bantered back.

"I can imagine that the goatman couldn't stomach seeing that kind of affection every single morning," Cassandra huffed a laugh, imagining Phil's face.

"Every morning, every day, every evening…" Hercules listed as he drank his tea.

"Don't forget, sometimes even at night!" Meg quipped back, which made Herc blush.

"Oh. Now that makes sense, it would make even braver man run," Cassandra replied, shaking her head and all three of them shared a laugh.

"Not so loud, Ickie's head hurts," a grimacing Icarus emerged to the kitchen, his hair even more of a mess than usually. (Cassandra wasn't quite sure how that was even possible.)

"There's a warm herbal drink over there to cure your wounds," Meg pointed towards the kitchen counter and Icarus followed her directions, taking a cup and pouring himself something to drink. He sighed with evident relief after taking a long sip.

"You are a miracle-worker, my kind lady," Icarus came stand beside Meg and bowed before her dramatically. Cassandra was tiniest bit impressed that he didn't spill any of his drink while doing it.

"Well, aren't you well-behaved this morning. You're welcome," Meg shook her head with a little smile on her face.

"Careful, he might take Meg as his new target," Cassandra told smugly to Hercules over her teacup. Hercules shot her an amused smile.

"I'd never abandon my sweetest Sassy-cassy!" Icarus announced as he sat next to her, much closer than she would have preferred.

"So much for that…" Cassandra muttered and Meg gave her a sympathetic, even though slightly amused, smile.

The four of them had spent most of the morning casually talking around the kitchen table. Their relaxing start of a day was interrupted, when a scroll was delivered to the villa: both Meg and Hercules were requested to attend a dinner of the royal family at the palace.

Neither Hercules and Meg even less really felt like attending, especially now that they had Cassandra and Icarus visiting them.

But as Hercules pointed out, it likely wouldn't be wise to agitate the king even more and decline his request.

Meg asked if Cassandra and Icarus felt like attending the dinner, but Cassandra anxiously declined, saying that she saw heinous visions enough without attending someone else's family dinners. Meg gave out a dry laugh: she had to appreciate the other woman's honest, which would seem brutal to others. She would have skipped the dinner too, if the family in question would not have been her own.

So Meg really liked Cassandra's honesty: she said exactly what she thought, so there was no second-guessing her real opinions.

Icarus, on the other hand, was torn between two: his natural curiosity in new things and experiences, which inclined him to go and see the palace and its residents. But the other possibly weighed more on his own personal scales: spending some quality-time with his wonderful Cassielassy. Alone-time with her. Oh yep, his mind was set alright.

-A/N: Sorry for the longer delay than intended, needed to take a small breather. I'm wishing all my readers wonderful holidays and happy new year!

OMG: Yes, I'm familiar with the TV-series version of Hercules, I tried subtly pointing out that Cassandra vaguely remembers Meg. Glad you're enjoying!

Nutmeg: Happy to hear that you're still enjoying this!

Sakura119; Here's the next chapter, sorry it took so long!

Guest1: Well, we can have cutesy stuff all the time, now can we? Happy you like it!

Guest2: I agree, the whole Hercules fandom is so underrated! Thank you!

Mai: So happy to hear that, hope you'll keep reading! And yes, I'm aware of that: maybe I hinted to that too subtly? ^_^'

Guest3: That has been my intention and I'm happy to hear that I have succeeded so far.