-1Author's Note: Due to the lovely suggestions of several readers, I decided to do an epilogue of sorts. Please, let me know what you think of it. I like to give an even stronger, funnier, comedic, sort of end to this fanfic once and for all.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the movie "Alexander", I do however heart Hephaistion and Alexander ever so much.

-somewhere of the coast-

-thirteen years after the death of Alexander-

"Men are such foolish creatures, Hephaistion." Alexander growled as he paced in the sand.

For the past few years he had watched his empire crumble beneath the rule of several of his traitorous men. Ptolemy had failed to do anything bright at all. Alexander had given the man far too much credit in life. Today was the appointed day for the death of his child, as well as Roxane. They had finally been found and now on this day they would be killed for it. Alexander finally collapse into the sand with a heavy breath.

It had been so hard to see everything he built and strive for crumble under the mindless rulings of a couple of incompetent men. Why had they even bothered to separate the land up between several of them was beyond his understanding!

Letting out a huge growl of frustration, before continuing, "I am at a loss for why they have been this foolish. I gave them all this land, all the riches, all the potential, and how do they take it, Hephaistion? They slaughter it all."

Alexander stopped as the man laying in the sand next to him began to laugh harder than he had expected. Alexander rolled over on his side to look over at Hephaistion. After thirteen years, Hephaistion had only gotten better. There was no change that took place in his looks, at least no great change. He was the exact same man, only know his features seemed a little more appealing each time he looked at him.

Finally, Hephaistion spoke, "After all these years you still have not stopped worrying over their mistakes. Dianthe warns you in advance and you still react with outrage when it happens."

Alexander sat up on his elbow, "That is absurd, Hephaistion! Of course, I act with outrage when everything I worked hard for is thrown aside. They are acting like children!"

With that note, Hephaistion watched as Alexander drew his knees up and rested his arms on them. He was pouting! The great king Alexander was actually pouting like a five year old child. Hephaistion loved the way his brow furrowed and his lip jutted out, the way his eyes twinkled with anger.

Rolling over on his side, Hephaistion sat up on his elbow and cast Alexander a rueful stare, "My king still loves his ideas more than anything else."

"Of course, I love my--" he paused and gave a funny look to Hephaistion before he continued, "You taunt the wrong man, my friend."

Shrugging as he lay back in the sand, Hephaistion yawned, "We are equals now, with you dead and all. I have nothing to fear from, Alexander."

Without suspecting it, Alexander pounced atop his friend before saying, "You were always my equal, my friend. If not, higher."

The conversation had turned serious without Hephaistion even seeing the transition. How had he missed this? Alexander loomed over him with his bare chest. Both men wore just a chiton wrapped around their waists, but nothing covering their chests. The sandals on their feet also were the only article acting as covering. Hephaistion matched stare for stare as he said, "Your son dies today. How do you feel?"

Rolling back over, Alexander let out another deep breath, "He has never known me as his father. Whenever I encountered him it was from a distance. All set aside that one day."

Hephaistion thought back to the day in mind. Alexander had 'accidentally' run into the lad when he had run off in the marketplace by himself. Of course, the boy had no idea who he was, but Alexander still showed much love for the lad. No one could know he was alive.

Resting his arms and chin on Alexander's golden and rock hard stomach, Hephaistion said quietly, "Roxane will be with him in the next life."

Alexander reached to stroke Hephaistion's back as he said absently, "I cannot just lay here in the sand with my love while my son dies by the hand of complete fools. Roxane clearly could not protect him. I must save him, Hephaistion. He is my son."

Planting a chaste kiss to the excellently toned skin, Hephaistion let his lips linger while he murmured, "Dianthe has told you the consequences of letting him live. He will find love and produce heirs. There will slowly be a line of Alexander that no one thought existed. Soon enough people will know you were alive all this time. He will hate you for never being in his life, Alexander. I will hate you for leaving me."

For a moment the caressing stopped as it became a desperate touch, then it continued with a new passion. His voice was tight and hot as Alexander said, "She expects me to allow my son to die, while I enjoy my life. I cannot stay in paradise, while he dies."

Hephaistion gave a short laugh, "This time has been anything, but paradise. Having to listen to you complain about the state of your lands, is not my idea of paradise."

Pushing him over, Alexander gave a hearty laugh. After thirteen years their friendship and love had taken a new level. They were one spirit, one soul, one entity in two bodies.

A voice cleared behind them and they looked up to see Dianthe standing there. Her small sandals tapped in the sand with one eyebrow raised, "I would question the two of you, but I know how this started."

Dianthe watched as both men rose to their feet. Each one exchanging a loving hug with her. For the past years she had hidden them away, while she raised Taryn. Her poor daughter knew Hephaistion and no one else as her father. As much as she loved Alexander, Taryn and Hephaistion had this bond as parent and child. Sometimes, even more than her with her daughter.

Although Dianthe acted the mourning widow role in a fairly large home, no one, knew of Alexander or Hephaistion's existence in the house. The servants knew of two people living in one of the largest rooms, but they knew to strictly to fill the bath tub or leave the food on the table. When they did their duties, no one was in the room. She had always stressed to never ask questions or breath a word about it.

None of them ever did.

Dianthe smiled at both of them as she grabbed both their hands. In these past years, she began to love them both. Alexander and Hephaistion were her two goals in life. They were her motive to go on in this life. It was her job to keep them hidden and happy. She prided herself on how normal they lived their lives. At times there was moments where she loved them as her children more than Taryn.

With a smile she said, "Supper is ready, time to go back home."

Alexander let go of her hand and wrapped it around her shoulder, "It truly amazes me, Hephaistion, how well Dianthe takes care of us."

Hephaistion took the example and wrapped his arm around her shoulder and added, "This is true, Alexander. Sometimes I feel she is married to the both us, instead of my wife."

Snapping out of the moment Dianthe stepped out from under their touches. Her words were soft and hurtful as she corrected, "I have not been your wife for some years now. Nor will I ever be married to either of you. The meal will grow cold."

-Home of Dianthe-

-right before bed-

Hephaistion removed his robe and placed it on the nearest furniture he could find. As he approached the bed, he gave Alexander a rueful glance. The man had not bothered to even wear clothes. As soon as they had got into the room, Alexander had immediately started to relinquish his clothing. Hephaistion laughed at the thought of how relaxed Alexander was now.

With no threat of someone walking in unannounced or even announced, he stalked around the room as he pleased and as he pleased was completely naked. At first this uninhibited Alexander threw him off balance. After a few months it was natural habit to see him strutting around the room in his bare, tan skin. The man was also far more affectionate.

The two would be just lounging about the room an Alexander would pass and give him a kiss on the shoulder or a passionate embrace.

Now as he laid stomach first on the bed, Hephaistion looked into Alexander's beautifully masculine face with so much adoration. One would think that as the years went on Alexander's looks would fade and he would grow old. Instead, everything seemed to just harden even more. His muscles tightened, his jaw turned even more statuesque.

Hephaistion finally began to regain himself as he asked, "Was Dianthe not strange today? Her behavior at dinner seemed odd, almost as if she-"

Alexander seized Hephaistion and pinned the poor man to the bed. His voice was coarse, "We will not speak of her in this room. For the past thirteen years, Hephaistion, this is our domain and no one else exists in here."

Alexander's hands seductively, deftly began to work their way up Hephaistion's thigh to till they came so close to what he seeked. Just as their lips met in a fit of passion and Hephaistion's hands dug deep into Alexander's blonde hair pulling him closer.

"Alexander!" a feminine voice called from the shadows of the curtains.

That voice! Alexander popped his head up to only see the face of Roxane standing there before him. Her eyes were filled with unshed tears. His body forced him to move towards her. He wrapped the nearest article of fabric his fingers could grip. As he walked towards her, she approached him. Her voice shook with strength and tears as she deftly muttered, "I knew you were alive. In my heart, I knew."

The situation finally came into reality to Alexander and he gripped her forearms tight, "Damn you, vile woman! You never know when to let things alone. Damn you to the furthest depths of Hell."

As he shook her she finally spotted Hephaistion who was dressed fully now as well. Her eyes snapped with pain and fire. Her fiery shot to Alexander, "This is what you have been doing while I raised our son and hid him, as well as myself from your enemies?"

She spat on Alexander and walked towards Hephaistion with in a storm, "And you! You have raised your child, but you would keep Alexander from his?" her voice got low, "I killed you, why do you live?"

Hephaistion only matched her stare for stare. His look grew just as stoic as it always did when he looked at Roxane. Inside he was bitterly angry, but on the outside he was emotionless. He only broke the gaze to look at Alexander who was now approaching behind Roxane. His tone was clipped and tight, "Leave, Roxane, and tell no one how you were here. What mother leaves her child alone at night when he is in danger?"

Roxane spun around now, wild with anger, "You love him so much you will not help us? You would turn your back on your son for a common dog? There was talk of you being alive and I had hope for his life."

With such a force Alexander threw Roxane into the nearest wall and pinned her there. Hephaistion began to step forward, but stopped. Alexander needed to settle this himself.

Anyone could have seen both the sorrow and anger shining in Alexander's eyes. His muscles would tighten, then relax, only to tighten again. He was either so angry or so miserable that he was shaking, Hephaistion knew it was probably both.

Alexander stared at he tiny body clamoring to be free of his titan's grip. He lowered his face so it was inches from hers, "You are the one who changed history, Roxane. You who dared to kill the one man who kept things in order. You dared to try and kill Hephaistion. If he would have lived, then I would be alive and so would you and our son, but you were greedy like the rest. You dared to get greedy with the wrong god's son! You come into my new life and traipse in here with Hell gleaming in your eyes. Well, here I am, Roxane, do your worst. It was you who killed me, not my men. You sentenced me to death with your murder of Hephaistion."

Tossing her to the floor, Alexander stalked over to the jug of wine and guzzled in a single drink. Surprisingly enough, Hephaistion helped her to her feet. Without looking back again over his shoulder, Alexander called as she left, "I love that boy, Roxane. Make sure he does not die alone."

After Roxane left moments of silence passed. While Alexander drank, Hephaistion watched him. This went on for awhile, till Alexander had had enough. He threw his glass against the wall and said, "It has always been this way, Hephaistion. I am the one who has been the center, the focal point of every success. You are always there, Hephaistion. I dream, I fall, you pick up the pieces. I really am nothing without you."

In the heat of his anger, Alexander cleared the table with a single swoop of his arm. Pounding his fists into the table, Alexander tried to collect himself, but as he stood there looming over the table he just managed to anger himself more. Finally he panted angrily, "You have never said anything. You were always happy to just sit back and be there. You were always walking one step behind me, but two steps ahead to help catch me before a fall." Alexander dared a look back at the quiet Hephaistion, "A beautiful face, a beautiful smile, to cover up all the pain I bring you. And oh the pain, Hephaistion! I have promised you words of affection, then I marry a woman and then take on Bagoas as a lover. All the battles, all the wars…"

Alexander had now moved to directly in front of Hephaistion. His fingers lightly traced each scar on Hephaistion's face and arms and any other visible scars. His words were breathy and coarse, "…all the scars. Every single one of them is my fault. Everything you have suffered is my fault."

Before he could say anymore Hephaistion shook his head and said adamantly, "Everything was for you, not because of you, Alexander. I have served only you. You were a great king and they will remember your name for centuries to come. How can you expect me to say I regret it all when I do not."

Alexander smiled, "Nor do I, Hephaistion. To see you in your battle armor charging ahead on your steed was a sight to behold. You are my dearest soul, Hephaistion."

Instead, of embracing him, Alexander prowled back over to the wine and began to drown himself in it again. Hephaistion shook his head, whenever a problem became too big for Alexander to even think about, he drank. Sometimes, too heavily than the man would like to think. For all these years, Hephaistion had allowed him to do this. Not now!

Storming over to Alexander, Hephaistion ripped the bottle from the man's clutches and poured it on the floor. As Alexander began to grab for him, Hephaistion shot a devil glare to Alexander, "How much do you expect from yourself, Alexander? You are only human like the rest of us. Slowly, you are breaking yourself an slaughtering all that is Alexander the Great. You are killing everything of my Alexander. Would you give it all up for a temporary cease of the pain? All your successes? All you failures? Is that how you measure your worth, Alexander?"

Now the wild anger in Alexander's eyes died to a low hush as he looked at Hephaistion with all the love in the world. Alexander hugged Hephaistion in a locked embrace as he said, "My son is dead now. I can feel it. My only living heir. I am finished, Hephaistion everything I worked for."

For a few moments, they stood there like that till finally Alexander stepped back and said, "We are now ghosts of this world. Fleeting images of what was once Alexander and his Hephaistion. To the ends of the earth we shall go."

Hephaistion gave Alexander a serious look and asked, "You are not going to complain the rest of our time together are you? I do not think I could stand another thirteen years of you complaining about the crumbling of your empire."

--officially the end--