Iolaus' Son, a hercules: the legendary journeys fanfic

Hercules rolled over restlessly, then sat up. It was the middle of the night and Iolaus should have been asleep, but he was sitting by the fire staring into the flames.

"Iolaus?"

His friend turned his head. "Yeah, Herc?"

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing."

Hercules got up and walked over to the fire. "Iolaus, I know you. I know when something is wrong. Why don't you just tell me about it?" Iolaus looked at Hercules, then turned his face away and studied the fire again. Hercules waited patiently. Finally Iolaus spoke, so quietly that his friend had to strain to hear him.

"Herc?"

"Yes?"

"What happened to Nebula after…you know, after...the exorcism?"

Hercules was stunned. The two men never talked about Dahok. Now the big man found himself casting about for words. "She went back to Sumeria," he said finally. "She's queen now."

"Does she hate me?"

"She never blamed you." Iolaus' head came round, his troubled eyes searching Hercules' . "It's true, Iolaus. She said you were the only man she ever really loved, and the only thing that eased her grief for you was knowing that your soul had found peace." Iolaus was silent, throwing bits of wood at the fire. "Why are you asking about her?"

Iolaus stood up, took a turn around the clearing, then stood with his back to the fire so that his face was in shadow. "I want to see her."

Hercules felt a chill like the first touch of a deadly sickness. They would have to go to Sumeria. The very word conjured a flood of confused memories and one dreadfully clear moment when he held his dearest friend in his arms and felt him take his last breath. The big man shook his head to clear it of the pictures. He had to wait a moment before he could speak, but when he did his voice was matter of fact.

"When do we leave?"

"You want to come?"

"Sure, why not?" Hercules spoke easily, but his stomach was twisting. If anything were to happen to Iolaus...

"We could take ship tomorrow," said the blond hunter.

"Then we'd better get some sleep now."

"Okay." Iolaus went to his blanket and rolled up in it and Hercules lay down with a heavy heart. Then Iolaus spoke again.

"Hercules?"

"Yes, Iolaus?"

"Thanks."

There was silence for the rest of the night.

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Hercules and Iolaus looked around at the magnificent reception room of the palace of the Sumerian queen.

"I don't remember it being so big," said Iolaus.

"It wasn't," Hercules replied. "She must have done a lot of work here after she came back."

Iolaus said softly, "I really appreciate you coming with me. I know this has to be hard for you."

"Not as hard as it is for you."

"No, it's mostly a blur to me, except for Nebula. I don't even remember that last day."

Hercules looked away to hide the pain in his face. "I wish I were so lucky."

"Herc..."

The big man turned back and spoke lightly. "I couldn't let you come here by yourself. You get in enough trouble as it is."

"Excuse me?"

"Well, there was the time you tried to rob a wagon full of money..."

"Now wait a minute..."

"And I seem to remember you being under sentence of death for stealing jewels from the King of Scyros..."

"I was framed!"

"What about the wedding you broke up, twice, with Aphrodite's golden apple?"

"She tricked me!" Iolaus glared at his friend, who began to laugh. After a moment the blond man joined in. Then they heard a gasp. Nebula was in the room, her eyes riveted on Iolaus, and her face was gray with shock. Hercules moved swiftly.

"Nebula, it's all right," he said, putting his arms around her. She was trembling as she craned her neck to look at Iolaus. She did not speak, but she fought frantically to get free. Strong as he was, Hercules was having trouble holding her.

"Nebula. Nebula! He's not a ghost or a demon. Look at me! Would I bring trouble to you?" She stopped struggling and he relaxed his grip.

"How, Hercules? How is this possible?"

"Let's just say I worked out a deal with the Fates." He released her and she walked up to Iolaus, who had not moved, and hesitantly reached out to him, touching his face. He put up a hand to hers, turning his face and kissing her palm. Tears began to roll down her face. "Iolaus?"

"It's me, Nebula. It's really me. I've come back to you." His voice broke and he pulled her to him. As their lips met Hercules slipped away.

Nebula's bed was big and soft and warm, and after the first hour she and Iolaus were content to lie in each other's arms. For a long time they were quiet, Nebula resting her head on Iolaus' chest and listening to the steady thump of his heart, then she looked up at him. He smiled.

"I've missed you," she whispered. "I've thought about you every day, wondering what life would have been like with you beside me."

"I was afraid you would never forgive me," said Iolaus. "I wouldn't blame you after what I did."

"Iolaus, I loved you and I lost you. Nothing could ever be so bad again. All I care about now is that you're here. And," she smiled brightly, "I have a surprise for you." He grinned and reached under the cover, but she slapped his hand. "Behave yourself, Goldilocks! And put some clothes on."

"What?" His arms went around her but she eluded his grasp with a little laugh and jumped up to put on a robe.

"Nebula..." She settled her sash and threw his pants at him. Sighing heavily, he pulled them on. She had gone to the door and spoken to the guard outside. Now she turned and came back to him.

"What's going on?" he asked. She shook her head. Then the door opened and a woman came in, an older woman with a plain face and the humble clothes of a nursemaid. She was holding a child in her arms. Iolaus' mouth went dry. It was a little boy, barely more than a toddler, with Nebula's smooth brown skin and dark brown hair, but his eyes were bright blue. Iolaus' eyes. Nebula took the child and dismissed the nurse, then turned and looked at the blond man.

"I want you to meet your son," she said quietly.

"How could she hide such a thing from me?" cried Hercules angrily. He and Iolaus were walking by the shore of a lake where once before he had stood with Nebula, remembering the man they had loved and lost.

"She didn't know she was pregnant when you left. You were gone for a year, no one knew where, then when you did come back…Hercules, she lost her mind and they took the baby away from her and when she recovered and knew what she would have to do..."

"All right, I understand. He was safer hidden. I can see that, but what about afterwards? Why didn't she tell me? It was all I had left!"

"Because she knew you belonged in Greece. Be honest, Herc. Would you have gone back if you knew my son was here?"

"No."

"Nebula knows how much Greece needs you. It was hard for her too, but she truly was trying to do what was best. Come on, now. I want to show you my son."

Nebula was apprehensive as the two men walked into the palace. Iolaus had assured her that he would make Hercules understand why she had kept the baby a secret, but Hercules was a friend to whom she owed much more than her life and she knew he must be deeply hurt. Now she looked at the big man with tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered. Hercules took her hand. "I'm just glad I finally know." He nodded at the child in the nurse's arms. "What's his name?"

"Iola. His name is Iola." Hercules looked at her questioningly, and Nebula nodded. Iolaus put an arm around her as Hercules took the little boy in his arms. The child reached up and grabbed a handful of hair.

"Ow!" Hercules smiled. "He's got your grip, Iolaus." The blond man grinned back and squeezed the woman at his side, and for a long moment the little tableau, the proud parents showing off their baby to a beloved friend, erased all the suffering and horror of the past.

Then Nebula broke the spell. "Hercules, I need to speak with Iolaus. Do you mind..."

"Go ahead." Hercules sat down and bounced the little boy on his knee and the child squealed with delight. "Take as long as you want." Nebula stood there a moment longer, seeing the absorbed look on the big man's face, then she sighed and turned away.

Iolaus followed her with a puzzled look. "What is it, Nebula?" he asked as they went into her room and she closed the door. She did not answer him but went out to the balcony where once, three years before, they had stood in the moonlight and dreamed of a future together. He came up behind her and put his arms around her and she closed her eyes and leaned back against him.

"I could stay like this forever," he murmured. At his words she turned in his arms, then put her hands against his chest and gently pushed him away. "What's wrong?" he asked her, frowning.

"I'm getting married."

Iolaus stood in shock, staring at her. When had he felt like this before? The knife in his heart had not hurt as much. "What are you saying?" he finally managed to ask.

"I am entering into an alliance with the King of Mesopotamia. The arrangements have been concluded and..."

Iolaus took two quick steps forward and grabbed her by the arms, hard. He was hurting her but she did not flinch, and after a moment he dropped his hands. "You can't do this," he said quietly.

"Iolaus..."

"How can you marry someone else when you love me?"

"Because we can't be together!" The words burst from her and she began to cry.

Iolaus held her close until she was calm, then he said soothingly, "We can. I'll stay with you forever. I promise."

"You can't. No," she hurried on, laying her fingers on his lips, "listen to me, please. When you…when I lost you…I lost a part of myself that I could never find again. Even little Iola couldn't take your place in my heart. But when I became queen..." Her voice broke. She swallowed hard, then continued. "I wanted to be the kind of ruler you would be proud of. I wanted to do what was best for my people. So I started negotiations with Mesopotamia. This alliance will be good for both kingdoms..."

"I won't let you do this!" said Iolaus violently. "You are my woman and Iola is my son. Do you think I'm going to walk out of here and let another man take my place with you?"

"It's a marriage in name only," said Nebula. "No one else will ever have me, and one day your son will be the King of Sumeria."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"There's something else." Iolaus looked at her. "Hercules."

"Hercules." Iolaus repeated the name blankly. "Hercules would want me to stay here."

"I know. But he loves you, Iolaus. And he needs you. Do you know what he said to me? That you were his hero." Iolaus looked at her, his eyes full of pain, and after a moment Nebula went on. "You can't leave him, Iolaus. And I can't go with you. I have to stay here and take care of my people, and you have to follow your destiny."

"I love you, Nebula. What if I never see you again?" he asked brokenly.

"I don't know, Iolaus! I only know that I love you, and you have to go!"

She threw her arms around him and they clung together fiercely, then slowly parted. He walked to the door, then turned for one last look. Tears stood in Nebula's eyes, but she smiled at him. He stared at her with a kind of terrible concentration, wanting to remember every detail of her, then he smiled back and nodded and walked out of the room.

"Are you sure?" asked Hercules as the coast of Sumeria faded.

Iolaus leaned on the side of the ship, watching until there was no more to be seen. "I don't know, Herc. It was what she wanted, so... Besides, to see Nebula again, to hold her, to find out about Iola," the blond man paused, then grinned, his undefeatable spirit sparkling in his eyes. "I'm telling you, Herc, right now I feel like the luckiest man in the world!"

Disclaimer: Iolaus was not seriously injured during the writing of this story but he did throw his back out.