"If you think you can run off whenever ya like, you've got another thing coming!" Phil ranted, and he'd been ranting. Hercules wasn't sure if he'd ever stop.

"You're the one who taught me about helping Damsels in Distress!" Hercules interjected as loudly as possible. "There wasn't time to send a letter. I just wanted to help her! I didn't realize it'd take a whole weekend, and I'm sorry you were worried, but you're overreacting."

"Don't tell me when I'm overreacting! I'm supposed to be responsible for you, aren't I?"

"Only for a little while," Hercules said. "Besides, now I have a girlfriend!" One that was watching Phil diminish his ego with each passing minute. So far, he was holding up, but this mortification was getting to him.

Phil narrowed his eyes and glared at Megara. "And who are you? Herc's friend told me ya came up to him about some kind o' sob story about an amphora? Where is it, then?"

"We resolved that privately," Hercules said.

"No, I wanna hear what was so important!"

Menoikeus stepped in front of his sister. "That's enough. I understand that the boy ran away, and that is unfortunate. My sister has been going through a lot recently, and I wish I could've been there for her sooner, but this is the time for healing. They're teenagers. They're going to do things we don't like because they're impetuous and full of bad ideas. We can tell them not to do something, but it's most important that we protect them from the worst consequences. They know what they did was dangerous, but it's time to let them reflect on what happened rather than worsen matters."

Megara didn't know what she'd do without her big brother. He was the father she never got.

"It's not the same! This kid wants to go to Mt. Olympus and become a god! Ya don't get to run off on dopey, pointless girlfriend trips and also hustle your way into the stars!"

"I disagree," Megara said. "I could be helpful."

"You don't even know where to start!"

"You're not all that great at communicating it, are you? Maybe Wonder Boy should take over and start teaching you about class and kindness. Those are big parts of being a hero, aren't they?"

"Well…" Phil frowned, then waved off her words. "He still needs consistent training."

"While we were out, he proved he can fight, interrogate, and protect. He maneuvered between gods and centaurs and imps of the Underworld with grace and confidence. Your pupil is beyond this infantile behavior, and you really ought to adjust your methodology. You could stand to learn a thing or two about manners because you've been speaking to royalty, and you're about as classy as a pig farmer. Is this how you expect to represent him when his career takes off?"

"You're too young to know how I handled Achilles, ain't ya?" Phil asked. "You'd never stop hearin' about the guy when he was active before the heel thing!"

"Phil," Hercules squatted down in front of the satyr, "she's my girlfriend. Please try to be nice to her. I don't want you chasing her off. She's important to me."

"Ya just met her! Aren't I important to you, too?"

"Of course! I need to become a hero, and you're the only guy who can get me there. But I also need you not to sabotage this. You're making my girlfriend stand up for me, and she's going to start thinking I'm a pathetic kid."

Phil folded his arms and aimed a skeptical look at him.

"Don't… please…" Hercules groaned.

"We're going back to the island right now, and you'll be grounded from dating until graduation! Say goodbye to your little girlfriend and suck it up!"

"Hey!" Megara stalked up and put a hand on Hercules's shoulder. "You don't get to break us up without talking to me first."

"I'm done talkin' to you!"

Menoikeus pulled Megara back from Hercules. "Sorry about my sister. I've got to take her home and deal with the war, but they got really attached to each other while traveling over the weekend. I'll ask you to stop shouting at her, but I understand why you'd be frustrated."

"Oh, do ya?" Phil huffed. "Heroes in training always think they can jump ahead and decide when they're ready for the big-time gigs."

"It wasn't that serious," Megara said. "If you even cared to hear the story, you'd be too impressed to complain. You're only mad now because you can't take credit for it. Are you afraid he'll realize he doesn't need you as much as you want him to?"

Meg was too smart for her to be making all of this up. Hercules was sure that there was an element to what she was saying that was unarguably true, but he'd never thought of Phil like that. Maybe he should've, but that was awfully cynical. It wasn't easy to frame his mentorship like that.

"You know what, sister? I don't have to explain myself to you!" Phil huffed. "C'mon, Herc. You've got a long lecture comin'. I gotta teach you what kind 'o' dames are all right for dating and…" he paused. "You two didn't uh…?" he raised a brow.

"No!" Hercules and Megara exclaimed at once.

"Phew!" Phil sneered at Megara. "That means you can stop distracting the kid from his responsibilities."

"I've got new responsibilities," Hercules said. He offered Megara his hand and wordlessly prayed that she'd take it.

Megara squirmed free of her brother, who reluctantly let her go to cling to Hercules.

"I'd like to be considered when you go talk to your father," Hercules told the prince, hoping he didn't sound like he was begging. "I'm too young right now, but I want to keep dating her, and when I grow up I want to still be with her."

"It's not up to any of us," Prince Menoikeus informed him. "I hope that Megara likes the man our father and King Eteocles choose for her, but I can't make any promises to either of you. Especially at this time of preparing for war, it is most important that we get home and rally behind our king."

"Our king who was supposed to share with his brother and instead decided to imperil all of us because he's a selfish brat?" Megara sneered. "You mean that king?"

"I didn't say I liked him, only that he's currently our king," Menoikeus said. "Come, Megara, it will be dark before we reach home, and we must away."

"I could drive her home," Hercules offered, gesturing to Pegasus.

"No!" Phil and Megara exclaimed at the same time.

"But…" Hercules knew it wasn't manly to pout, but his lips were drooping into position without his permission. "When will we see each other again?"

"You're the one with a flying horse, so I guess it's up to you," Megara pointed out. There was pain behind her smile, and he wished he could kiss it away, but in front of so many people, he wasn't sure he had the nerve. She continued in a hushed voice, saying, "I don't know when I could sneak away again after this. You ought to go… focus on becoming a hero and… Maybe one day when you're a hero, I'll–"

He'd been wrong. It didn't matter who was watching. She just kept thinking he'd give up and move on. Hercules didn't just kiss her. He held her in his arms and dipped her backward until she had to cling to him. She was trembling, but that was no problem for him. Her tears against his face made him pull back, but her eyes were shining with uncertainty, begging him to be certain for her.

"It's going to be all right. I've got to go for now, but I'll see you again soon, and you're not going to handle this alone. I'll see you soon for our third date. All right?"

She nodded and kissed the bridge of his nose. When she tried to speak, it was a broken, half-sobbing sound.

"It's all right," he repeated and helped her stand on her own while hugging her about the shoulders. "I'll see you again soon."

Megara squeezed his hand, then stepped away toward her brother. "I promise I'll hold on for you," she told him. "I don't want anyone else, and I'll fight if they try and force me to go with someone else."

Menoikeus let out a longsuffering sigh. "Goodbye, young hero. Thank you for rescuing my rebellious sister."

"You're welcome… and you know what?" Hercules straightened his back. "I'm not a full hero yet, but I'm hero enough. If someone else wants to try and steal my girlfriend, give me a call. I'll fight anyone for her. I've been fighting since I was a baby, so I'm not scared."

"Don't make a bigger deal out of this than it is, kid."

"He's the best," Megara told her brother. "You shouldn't mess with him."

"Stop wastin' everyone's time!" Phil demanded and yanked Hercules by the sandal strap. "You've got a geometry test tomorrow!"

"Okay… okay…" Hercules walked backward onto Pegasus so he could prolong the time before he lost sight of the only girl who'd agreed to become his girlfriend and seemed to take it seriously.

He'd met so many girls who didn't have time for him, and he'd been desperate for their approval. But then there was Meg, and she'd found him and needed him. She still needed him.

As they flew into the air, Megara waved at him, but Phil was already back on his tirade.

"You gotta stop being so dumb you run off to help whoever turns up asking for help!" The satyr huffed in superior disapproval. "You almost messed with Thebes! They're the big leagues out there! You're not ready for that!"

"Maybe I should keep things slow. You're right," Hercules said. "But I want to enjoy having a girlfriend. You can't keep jumping down her throat every time you see her. When I bring her to the island–"

"She ain't welcome!"

"The moment you try to kick her out, I'll go with her, Phil. I've done a lot of thinking this weekend. Things are gonna be a bit different starting now."