Megara woke as if from a dream. She was even in bed, and felt well-rested.

Hercules was leaned over her, watching her face as if she might sprout fangs.

"What?" she mumbled at him.

"You… passed out? Right after your face went so pale I could practically see through it? Are you going to tell me what happened?"

"I… oh…" she rubbed her forehead to wake herself up. "How could he possibly have the gall to show his face here?"

"I'm… sorry, what? Who? Who are you talking about?"

"Didn't I tell you?"

"No, you stopped talking and then you fainted. Will you please tell me what's going on?"

"I saw Theron onstage. He was the guy playing Cadmus."

"He… what?"

"And the woman playing Harmonia is the same one I saw when he… left. I guess it didn't make any sense to me that they'd be there tonight, so I decided it was a dream and my body put me to sleep."

Hercules started to pace the room. "So… he was here… right there in your face… and he hurt you again."

"He didn't mean to this time…" she said half-heartedly. Theron must have wanted to hurt her, based on that face he made when he saw her looking at him. She didn't need Hercules to get angry right now. She just wanted him to hold her.

"That guy's worse than Adonis, and I punished Adonis already tonight. No curses. This guy thinks he's clever to show up after all this time and prance around with a mask on. Well! He's not that clever."

"Leave my brother's sacred space alone, at least for his coronation week. We don't need another curse."

"After what he did to you, this could be our only chance to mete out the justice he deserves! And now everyone saw how much it hurt you to see him. He has power over you and I hate that! He should grovel and apologize, and if he doesn't, he needs to die!"

"You don't think that's a little extreme?"

"No, I've been thinking about this long enough. He should admit to everyone what he did to you and grovel and apologize to you!"

"We dont't really need everyone to know that, do we? That's why we invented a whole fake backstory. Nobody was supposed to know I had business with Hades."

"Okay, then I'll put him on trial before the other gods. I already know he's guilty."

"At least then you wouldn't be a murderer, but what other gods would even care?"

"Dionysus would care."

"That's true, but Dionysus would make me go crazy and rip the guy apart, or something equally extreme."

"That could be fun to watch. I liked it the first time. But I think I should be the one to do it this time, even our score."

"You can't make yourself a murderer. I was probably only exempt because I was an actual monster at the time."

"It's how I fix any nightmare where he comees back to steal you or hurt you. One of those already came true, so I should hurt him back!"

"But I paid for his life… I do'nt know what happens if that payment is negated. You did pay for his life. And he never returned that kindness. He ought to consider himself in your debt."

Megara wiped instinctive tears from her eyes. "Herc… I shouldn't let him bother me now that I'm with you. I don't think he should bother you, too. I have all these conflicted feelings that I just don't want to deal with right now. They all happened at once and it was too much for me to process."

"Then let me deal with it. I won't let him continue to hurt you from a distance like this. Do you still…?" He cut himself off and held his breath.

"No. And I'd never leave you for anyone, especially not Theron. What bothers me is he made me vulnerable and he's seen me like that. Back when I was helpless, it was all because of him. He's been in so many nightmares, and he's been the center of so much self-doubt and loathing… hades would bring him up s I'd go along with his plans, and even the one to seduce you for your weakness…"

"Which I'm glad you did, by the way."

"As am I. It's just that seeing him again, I was hit with all of that at once, and I still wonder if I was wrong about him somehow."

"In what way?"

"Maybe Hades chased him off? Maybe that other girl was better than me in some way?"

"I'll stop you right there. Would you ever encourage a man who had a relationship already to abandon his committment for you?"

"Well… if she was a bad person and I was sure, maybe. If it was you, and you were with someone like Medea…"

"I'd thank you for that, come to think of it. But my point still stands. Are you suggesting you're as bad as her?"

"I don't know, maybe I was back then. Maybe I deserved this all along."

"Do you think Medea would ever ask a question like that about herself? Or would she justify everything she did because she can't examine her own motives and doesn't care to?"

"You're making good points tonight." She rubbed her head to try and banish a sudden knot of soreness.

"You didn't deserve this," he said more gently now that he was sure she'd agree with him. Hercules took her by the hand and rested a hand on her head. His aura gently seeped into her skin and relaxed that tension away. "Those two only cared about themselves. Even if Theron was falling out of love with you, he should've recognized how devoted you were to him and respected that loyalty. There were so many other ways to handle what happened between you. A decent man would have shown you even a modicum of gratitude for what you did. If you ever think she's better than you, try to remember which one of you threw away her freedom for him. It wasn't her."

It was all she could do to hold onto his wrist and try to stop her head from spinning. "I never thought of it that way…"

"Of course, not, you were battered around for years and it makes more sense that you'd get hurt than that someone would stand up for you. But those days are over. I'm still fighting that monster in your head, and I'm winning. I promise you, I always will."

Megara wrapped an arm around his neck to draw him closer to her. "I can't believe you keep finding new ways to be everything to me." She rested her brow against his.

"Let's not forget what you've done for me. All the things you've done prove you're generous to the point of selflessness. That's part of who you are. I bet it's always been who you are. He knew that, and that's why he used you."

Megara looked down at her knees, overwhelmed again with so many emotions she didn't know how to process it all.

Ordinarily, her eyes would've rested on her knees, but now she found herself laughing at the surprise of what she saw instead.

"What?" Hercules asked, laughing sympathetically.

"It's just that I usually get lost in dark thoughts at times like this, but now Harmonia is there. She's just like you, reminding me of the good things in life."

Hercules covered Harmonia in one hand. "Already making her father proud… I can't wait to meet her. And I want all our enemies cleared away before she gets here. So will you let me deal with Theron? I can go clear things up with everyone that you're all right, and then I'll track down that bastard for you."

"Couldn't you just stay with me? Bad things happen when we split apart."

"And you want to stay here. But I don't want your night to end in defeat. Today should be all about triumph."

"I know you're right, but I wish you weren't… Fine, we'll go back, but you'll owe me!"

"Same as before? I can do that! In fact, let's go now so we can get back sooner!"

Megara had no time to reply before Hercules had given her one more squeeze and they were gone.