Hello again readers. Pardon the delay, I got a new 40-hour a week job and training for it overlapped my current 32-hour a week job so I've had a BUSY 2 weeks! But I finished the old job and started the new one!

XV13: Thank you for pointing out those errors, because of how long it takes me to write something and get it up I have a bad habit of not wanting to proof read, I type quite literally 70 or more words a minutes so I make typos. So don't feel bad about pointing them out, I will try to fix them and replace the chapter when I have a good chance. I am trying to improve my update schedule, but I work full time so I have to work around that and my attempt at a social life. I guess it's good that I'm my own harshest critic… I'm quite happy people seem to enjoy my stories so much , even when I think I wrote something sub-par. I hope I continue to live up to your expectations! And you should get into writing, it is a lot of fun!

Demi Brakensick: Hey there my loyal friend, I'm you are enjoying this rewrite so much! I just hope people enjoy it as much as they apparently liked Reopwened Wounds. I'm still astounded by how much people loved that thing.

To my surprise Jason remained silent about the seemingly miraculous healing of my burns. Upon entering the kitchen he had stared at me with a confused, slack-jawed expression but a quick shake of my head seemed to convey my desire for secrecy. We had been given a rare gift of privacy to enjoy our meal; food so lavish it brought be back to the luxuries of my childhood. But sitting across from Hercules, looking into those blue eyes and that optimistic smile I wanted to replace those painful recollections with something brighter.

"So how did the interviews and city cleanup go?" I asked, smiling as I watched Hercules take a large bit of food, his exaggerated swallow and expressions were like that of a player in in a farce "By how fast you're scarfing up that food I'd guess busy?"

"Yeah, totally forgot about lunch!"

"You, forget a meal? The king worked you that hard? Saving the world didn't earn you a little slack?" I asked, failing to hide the bitterness in my tone.

"Well it was important to put the fires out… more of the city could have been destroyed if they spread," The stalwart hero, always willing to sacrifice his well being for others. It was this trait that I both feared, and adored. The trait I owed my life to.

"Still… he could have let you eat." I muttered, taking a large bite of food to stifle myself from speaking too frankly.

"No it's not like that. I just… forgot. I got a little preoccupied helping the city… there were a lot of fires, and a lot of debris keeping people from bringing water to them. The cyclops did a lot of damage…" He trailed off, and I furrowed my brow as the sights, sounds, smells, feel of the night washed back over me. Come out, face me! There are worse things. Words began to flash through my memory faster than the pictures that accompanied them. I remembered the bellowing beast, then the sound of crumbling stone. I whimpered, dropping the food in my hand and rubbing my temple to try and regain control of myself, the throbbing in my ears and the sound of my own ragged breathing drowning out the sounds of Hercules sitting but an arm-length across from me. Meg? No! Crumbling stone. A bellowing beast. Hands pushing me away. A blue flame coasted beast whispering in my ear, smoke against my wrists. Stop it.. stop it… "Meg?!" I looked up, Hercules was clutching my hands tightly in his own. "Are you okay? I thought you were gonna faint… you went all pale…" I smiled, trying to play off his concerns,

"I must just be hungrier than I thought. " I lied quickly, trying to ease his concern.

"Meg,"

"Really…"

"You're not just hungry," Why is my first instinct to lie to him? No… it's not lying, I just don't want him to worry. He endured that horrible night too the last thing he needs is to worry about my broken self .

"I'm sorry… I just don't want you to worry," I relented, sighing. I dropped my gaze, finding that the concern in his eyes overhwealmed me with guilt. "We went through a lot, it will take time to process," I explained, having to force myself to overcome my damnable urge to lie. He deserves the truth, for once Megara tell the damn truth! I chided myself, biting my lower lip afraid to meet his gaze. Worried about what his expression would tell me.

"Talking about it might help us… process," He gave my hand a squeeze, and I managed to muster the courage to lift my eyes from the table. I was met with a look of concern. There was no accusation or anger in his expression. He's struggling too… I keep thinking of myself, and how I'm dealing with this, but I keep forgetting that he's struggling too.

"I've been alone for so long… I'm not used to talking to someone to … deal." I explained, realizing for myself how pathetic that was. How long had it been since I was able to work through something with someone at my side? How long since I was able to walk away from horror, and have someone to grasp my hand?

"I'll always be here for you," I looked up at his smile, chuckling at the cliched answer. He was never good with words, but they brought comfort nonetheless.

"We can talk about it. In time. For now… I need to just sort it out in my head," I explained. "But I'm here for ya too, you big lug," He smiled at me, the corners of his eyes tilting up."But you… are you… okay?" I asked, struggling to form my sentence into words. If I could be rentered helpless with anxiety at the mere mention of the Cyclops, how much better was he faring?

"I guess we're both just doing the best we can. How many people survive the end of the world?" He chuckled. But I saw black of his eye wide, he was frightened too. The mention of these events seemed to be affeting him the same as I, and he was using humor to coat it. But I pretended not to notice, and returned his harmless laugh. We managed to enjoy the rest of our meal.

Jason came to clear away our dishes, and I felt better for having eaten. With that comfort I came to realize that I was still in my filthy clothes, and I could have sworn I felt a layer of sweat and dirt on my skin.
"I think I could take you up on that offer of a bath you mentioned in your note," I grimaced, feeling as if I looked at dirty as I felt. I needed to wash the night off me. I needed to burn this horrible lavender chiton that still smelled of Tartarus, scrub the dust and ashes of the city off my skin, cleanse my hair of the smell of smoke.

"Oh… yeah. Umm," Hercules paused, looking up at Jason who was clearing away the table. "Jason, are any of the girls awake to draw a bath?" I wanted to interject and insist on drawing it myself, but I was unfamiliar with the villa. I did not know where or how to obtain hot water, nor did I have the energy. Despite having been awake for a few short hours, I already felt sleep beckoning to me.

"Alexina is usually up late. I don't think she ever sleeps… creepy," Jason replied. "I'll go fetch her," He walked through the kitchen, vanishing down an unfamiliar hall where I assumed the servent quarters were. Shortly later a foreign looking woman appeared. Her appearance was striking, her skin was almost chestnut, and her hair black, and her eyes nearly as dark as her hair. She was short, coupled with her large almost shaped eyes gave her a youthful appearance. Her name was Greek, the last I expected was to see a girl who was so clearly from half a world away.

"You called, sir?" Her voice was quiet, and carried poorly through the kitchen, but I could still hear her thick accent.

"Alex I've told you a hundred times stop calling me that. You don't have to be so formal,"

"Sorry. What can I do for you?" He sighed, it seemed the debate of her formality was an ongoing one.

"Can you draw a bath please?" He turned, gesturing to me, "Oh. Umm.. Alex, this is Meg. She'll be staying with here. Meg, this Alexina. She prefers to be called Alex."

"Hi," I smiled, feeling uncomfortable. She smiled back at me, and nodded to Hercules before walking past us, I assumed to draw a bath. "She always like that?" I asked, lifting a brow.

"Yeah. She's… quiet," He replied, "Can't blame her. She's had it pretty bad… she was from a country to the northeast. Spice traders were there, and decided to dip into the slave trade. She was one of hundreds captured, but only among a few dozen who made it back to Greece alive. She was sold to a family near Athens. I was there on hero business and came across her, beaten half to death by the head of the household. I demanded they free her and they refused. So I offered to… buy," He spat the last word, his fists clenched. "her. And left, refusing to assist them with their business. I told her she was free to go back home, I'd hire a ship. But her whole family had died on the slave ship, her village burned. She had nothing to return home to... And she insisted on repaying me for saving her life. I offered her a place to stay… but she insisted on working for me," He explained, and I was startled by how candid he was. "To 'repay my debt' as she says all the time. I frequently remind her she is free to leave whenever she wants, but she insists on staying. I have no idea what's going on in that head of hers…"

"Damn…" I cursed, looking to the doorway where the girl had dissapeared, and found a smile tugging at my lips, "You have a thing for saving damsles in distress," I turned to him, placing a hand on his cheek and standing on my toes to kiss him gently. "You really are a hero," I was touched by his story, and while I couldn't deny a strange little twinge of jealousy, I was happy to learn he had saved another. It was further proof that he was every bit the hero my heart was making him out to be, that I wasn't placing him on a false pedestal. "And I love you all the more," I whispered.

Some time had passed, the first dregs of dawn painting the horizon a deep crimson when Alexina came to inform me that my bath was ready. She lead me to a lavatory where a bronze bath steamed with hot water.

"Do you require help, miss?"

"No, I'll manage. I can handle myself," I smiled, "But please… just call me Meg," She nodded in response,

"Please call if you need me. I won't be far," I recalled my maid I had at my father's palace. She was a sweet enough girl. She would help me out of my chiton, and to wash my hair with whatever oils and fragrances my father thought would best please my latest sutor. She would help me dress, and brush my hair. Don perfume and coat my face in pigments. I had no desire to return to such a life. I could manage myself. With the other woman out of sight I pulled the pins at my shoulders, unwrapping the chiton and letting it fall to the floor.

I had to brace myself with both hands to keep from falling to the ground with the shock of the sight. Deep purple and blue snaked across my ribs, wrapping around me and down my abdomen, in places so dark it was nearly black. The colors faded down to my hips, and I turned to see the color painted my back, reaching nearly to my shoulders. What. I gingerly touched the deep bruising with my fingertips, expecting and explosion of pain.

Crumbling. It was the sound of crumbling. Bellowing. And the crumbling. I saw it, stone. Falling. I reacted. Get him to safety. He can't die! Pain. So much pain. The world exploded into the color. This pain. I can't bear this pain. Over soon. It will be over soon. I can't breathe. Soon enough the world will grow black. You ready Hades? You sadistic fuck. I'm coming back. So much pain. Will be over soon. The pressure… Oh Gods please, just end this! Cut my threat Fates! This pain!

I gasped, feeling a hand on my shoulder. I looked up, meeting the wide dark eyes of the foreign girl. Her mouth was moving, talking. To who? Me? Why? I was just going to take a bath. I shook my head, squinting hard trying to bring the world back to focus. There was no pain, it was, a memory?

"Miss! Miss! Meg? Are you alright?" She was shaking me, the concern in her voice helping jolt me back to the present. I was breathing quick, and I recognozed the lavatory. It was a memory, I had trapped myself in a memory.

"I'm okay. Sorry… bad memory," I explained,

"Your body…" I looked down, seeing the bruises again. It looked as if I should be in agony, but there was no pain. There was a dull ache like an old injury that was nearly healed. I was perplexed, when Hercules had returned my soul the injuries that had taken my life had healed. Was it not an instant process? Was that why my body ached and protested?

"Long story, but I promise, this is not as bad as it looks. It doesn't hurt. Help me up, please?" Alexina nodded, and pulled me to my feet. I looked at her, recalling Hercules story. She had been born to the northeast, why did she take a Greek name? Why would she not prefer to use the name given to her by her parents. The name from home.

"I just heard a bang, as if you fell,"

"A bad memory," I tried to explain. Not wanting to tell her about the Cyclops. I had to come to terms with my own feelings about those events before I was ready to talk about them. I had to find a way to control these memories. It was so real, like it was happening again. It hurt, as if I was back under that stone. "Maybe I could use your help, if just for the company…" I asked, feeling embarassed at the request. I was determined to care for myself, to be independent. But in truth, I was frightened to be alone.

SO I was partially tipsy when I wrote a chunk of this, I feel like I rushed it, and that it is horribly cliché and confusing… thoughts?

And to just explain it, in case it is confusing, Meg is having flashbacks. Her and Hercules endured something that would emotionally traumatize anyone. She was literally crushed to death, and her whole world flipped insideout. She died, and was brought back to life. Her body is still adjusting to it. So it is a little PTSD. I just can't imagine that Meg would be able to simply "get over" all the trama she'd been put through.

Update: Felt the need to clarify the bruising on Meg is from the pillar. Hercules returning her soul probably healed her fatal injuries, but I felt the need to keep some residual effects. Reabsorbing blood (a bruise) takes a long time, so I felt it more appropriate to make the bruising take time to fade. She was left without an external mark so she would have no scars, so I have her an enourmous bruise to cope with.

I hope you enjoyed…