A/N: YAY I'M STILL ALIVE! So, here is the next chapter, and we finally see Hercules! So sorry this took so long, life keeps gut-punching me, so writing is a low priority. I really hope you guys enjoy this one:D

"J… John?"

My jaw dropped. "Hercules?" I whispered at the figure on the ground, his soaking clothes clinging to his shaking skin. He was vigorously shaking, his left arm wrapped around his middle section, while his right arm was still mid-knock. He slowly unfurled his right fingers, and was now reaching up at me. I dropped to my knees and put his arm over my shoulder, ready to pick him up. Alexander abruptly began moving, taking his place on Hercules' other side.

We partially dragged him into the house, struggling due to him being about a foot and a half taller than both of us. He was mostly leaning on me, since I'm stronger than Alexander by way more than a mile. We turned out of the foyer and into the sitting room, leading Herc to the sofa in the corner. We sat him down, Alexander quickly leaving in search of blankets while I helped Hercules lie down. He was still shivering, the wet clothes wrapping around his frozen skin. I slowly removed his sopping beanie from his head, placing it in the ashtray we have for guests. I lit the candle on the end table next to us, holding my hands up to it to warm up. I cupped his face with my warmed hands, trying to rid the frigid feel from his face.

"Hercules, what the hell happened to you?" I muttered, bringing my hands back to the candle. My friend stayed still, his eyes shut, giving the appearance of death. Stop, he'll be fine, you just need to warm him up.

Alexander flew into the room, arms filled to the brim with blankets and towels. He dropped them all in a pile on the floor, sifting through and picking out a large towel.

"We should take his clothes off, get him dry…" He mumbled, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of undressing his friend. I nodded, beginning to unbutton Hercules' shirt. A quiet grunt alerted Alexander and I that he was still awake. I ceased my actions, steadily backing up and standing next to Alexander. Herc's hands rose to his face, twitching as they felt around his icy features.

"Did… did I die, John?" He whispered, covering his face with his large hands. A shaky breath slipped from his parted lips.

"No, no, you're still alive, bud." I assured, kneeling next to him again. His eyes fluttered open, gradually landing on me and Alexander.

"E… Eliza, I came to see Eliza…" He murmured, placing his hands over his heart. "I need to see her… need to… see.."

Alexander nodded, tapping me on the shoulder. I glanced over at him, and he pointed at himself and then upstairs.

"Thank you." I mouthed to him, before he tossed the towel on the pile and hurried out of the room.

Hercules tightened his hands in the damp clothing above his heart. "Do… do you have any dry clothes that… might fit me?"

"Yeah, sure, a bed sheet." I muttered, smiling when his right hand flew to lightly smack me on the shoulder.

"Shut… up."

Quietly chuckling, I stood and walked over to the table where Alexander had dropped all the blankets and clothes. The both of us had secretly stolen some of Hercules' shirts and pants a few months ago, because they were so big and comfy on our smaller frames. Alex had brought down the burgled clothing, a white dress shirt, tan breeches, and a navy-blue jacket. I picked them, as well as a large towel, out from the tangle of blankets and went back to Hercules, who was attempting to sit up.

"C'mon, man." I gently pushed him up, helping him to a sitting position. He mumbled thanks, and gestured for me to put the clothes down next to him. They plopped down onto the sofa, and I dropped the towel on his lap. I sat down next to him and reached for the buttons on his shirt. He smacked my hand away and brought the bed sheet around him to cover himself.

"I can undress… myself, John, you… pervert." He stammered with a slight grin.

I laughed. "Sorry, you're not my type. I don't really go for flower girls… I prefer flower men."

He snickered, shooing me away with his hand. I walked over to the double doors, closing them behind me to give the him some privacy. I leaned my head so I could see the top of the staircase, and sighed when I didn't see Alex coming.

What's taking him so long?

My thought was answered with a loud scream. Eliza, still in her dress, was suddenly rushing down the stairs. Alex trailed behind her, shouting her name.

"Eliza! He needs to rest, the man's been outside for Lord knows how long!" The words spilled out of his mouth, falling on deaf ears.

Eliza practically jumped off the last step, her gown swooshing with the motion. She ran up to me, grabbing my face with shaking hands.

"Is he breathing?! Is he going to survive this?!" She shouted, tears flowing down her flushed cheeks.

"Elizabeth, take a breath! He's fine, he isn't hurt," I assured. "He's just cold and wet, I left him so he could dry off and change."

I wrapped my arms around her before she could charge into the sitting room. She shook against me, taking in large gulps of air. After a moment, her breathing had evened and she began to straighten.

Her hands still held my shoulders, and I'm just now realizing that she's surprisingly strong.

"Eliza… dearest, you're hurting me." I quietly stated, sighing in relief when she let go.

"I'm sorry, I just… can I see him, John?" She whispered. "Please?"

"Of course, Eliza. But, let me go in first, okay?" She tilted her head in curiosity. "I just really don't want to be scarred by seeing him naked."

She lightly blushed, before taking a step back. Alexander swung his arm around her, sharing a smile before looking at me. I smiled at him, and knocked on the door before sliding into the room.

Hercules was standing now, and was all gussied up in his usual outfit. The only thing that was missing was his beanie, which was still drying off on the table.

"I heard her. I finally… heard her." He looked at me with tears in his eyes. "John, I never thought I'd hear her… ever again."

I stepped over to him, putting my hands on his shoulders. "Hercules, you're here, and you're fine. But, man, you're going to tell us what the hell happened out there when you're ready, right? You've been unreachable for days."

He nodded, "As soon as I see Eliza, I'll be good enough to tell you everything."

"Okay." I moved so I was standing next to him. "Come on in, Eliza!" I softly yelled through the closed doors.

The door knob turned with such trepidation, I wasn't sure it was even moving. Gradually, the door opened, revealing Eliza, with renewed tears streaming down her shocked face.

"Oh my… god, you're okay, Herc!" Her whisper escalated into a shout as she launched herself into his arms.

He caught her with a laugh, tucking his face into the crook of her neck. He brought a hand up to cradle the back of her head. Their mumblings merged, becoming a soft murmur of 'I love you's.

Her arms were wrapped around his neck, her laughter mixing with his. They stood there, contently holding each other.

Alexander had appeared next to me sometime during their reunion. His hand confidently took mine, and he interlocked our fingers. I glanced up at him, a grin taking over both our faces.

"I love you." He softly whispered. My grin became even broader at his words, as always.

"I love you, too, Alex." I giggled.

"I'm ready, men." Hercules' voice cut through the calm air. "I'll tell you what happened."

We both nodded, and gestured for him and Eliza to sit down on the bed. Alexander and I took a seat on the floor, crisscrossing our legs. Hercules took a deep breath, gripping Eliza's hand with both of his.

"My brother, Hugh, called a family meeting, and I had to leave." He breathed. "But, when I got there, he… I found his body, lying in a pool of… of blood."

A/N: Alright, that was a totally cliche ending, but I ran out of creativeness. Tell me what y'all think in the reviews section! Hopefully the next update will be up on either Sunday or Monday:)