AN: Little bit of sexual-related talk in the beginning of this chapter, just to warn you all! Enjoy!

"Up, slowly Love, there is no rush. And down on the exhale. Good," Alexander sat on a stool behind his husband, helping him to do his exercises which would let him gain his strength back as well as his figure, though Hephaestion was not as worried about that as he was about regaining his independence. He hated feeling helpless. It was his nature.

Too bad every time he did these squats, Nature took hold of Alexander.

Hephaestion paused in his exersises, head turned to the right slightly, "Gods, Xander, I can hear your arousal. Go take a shower, you need one anyway."

"This is what you do to me, Phaistion! I can't help it. I'm a man, no matter what."

"Then you can be a man and help me with my exercises, or you can leave me to do them on my own and take care of Darko. Your choice. Besides, I'm not healthy enough for that just yet, nor am I in the mood."

Alexander grumbled and groused as Hephaestion went into a squat again, focused internally as he breathed deeply. But Hephaestion thought he heard the word, "Blackmail," among the ranted whispers. He smiled as he stood again and waited until Alexander had left the room.

It wasn't long until Hephaestion heard a scream. Forgetting what he was doing, or even the fact that he was still healing, he sprinted toward the nursery.

"Alexander, stop!" he saw his lover standing over the crib, with Darko screaming as Hephaestion had never heard anyone scream before, "What did you do?!"

"I don't know! I was trying to change him-"

"-... his leg's caught. It's all right, Darling, Mumma's here. Xander, gently take his thigh and pull upward while I work his foot out. One-two-three! Nice and easy..."

It took only five minutes to free Darko's leg, but to the frazzled parents, it felt like twenty.

"Oh, come here, Darling. It's okay, Mumma's got you now," Hephaestion gently sat in the rocking chair by the window, soothing his son with coos and whispers.

"I'll get some ice," Alexander ran out of the room.

Hephaestion doubted ice was needed, but it had Alexander doing something and made up for the accident so he let it be.

"Here we are," Alexander came back and knelt by the chair.

"Don't lay it directly on his skin," Hephaestion warned.

Alexander only nodded, carding his fingers through the soft brown hair on his son's head.

"Look at how beautiful he is. He's so robust and healthy, compared to when he was born. I think I need to make you a new crib, my boy!" Alexander praised.

"Are you Momma's big boy? Are you Momma's big boy?" Hephaestion smiled down at his son.

Darko stuffed all the fingers of one hand into his mouth, the signal that he was hungry.

"Bottle," Hephaestion ordered, and Alexander was quick to grab one from the kitchens.

"There you are, my strong boy," Alexander got comfortable on the floor so he could admire his gift from the gods.

After his feeding, Alexander held out his arms to take his child. As he was patting and rubbing his back to burp him, the little prince let out a long-winded, loud belch.

His parents were shocked to silence for a moment and then Alexander laughed, "THAT'S MY BOY!"

"Hush, Xander!" Hephaestion admonished, putting a finger to his own lips, "We're trying to get him to sleep, not keep him awake!"

Alexander immediately quieted down, rocking his son until he was fast asleep. It wasn't long after that the two parents found themselves in their own bed, indulging in their own, much needed naps.