Megara raced through the palace to the sound of her daughter's voice and Hercules's frantic attempts to soothe her. She took the steps two at a time, holding firm on the banister, and slammed the Andron door open with an elbow.
There was Harmonia in Hercules's arms, opening and closing her hand as she continued to scream, "Mama!"
"I'm here, Moni!" she called breathlessly and hurled herself across the final distance to reach the pair. She wrapped the child in both arms and nestled her against her chest.
Harmonia grasped for anything small enough for her hands to latch onto, finally deciding it would be the ribbon in her mother's hair. She yanked it while she continued to protest at whatever had offended her, and Megara's hair tumbled free of its bonds while Harmonia reared back.
"What's gotten into her?" Megara asked, rubbing the child's back and rocking her. "I've never seen her this upset!"
Hercules hung his head sheepishly. "It's my fault. She's picked up on my worrying about you. How's Galatea?"
Megara shrugged off the question. Moni needed her now and Galatea didn't. She sat on the nearest dining couch, shoving a man out of the way, and settled Harmonia in to breastfeed. She shielded herself with her loose hair and only relaxed when she heard the loud evidence that Harmonia had latched.
With the sweet sensation and assurance that Harmonia was calm again, Megara looked back up.
Hercules stood beside Dionysus, looking a little flustered, maybe embarrassed, as two other figures came into focus.
Megara started to wonder if she was going mad. Her head nodded forward, and her vision became blurry.
Hercules steadied her before she was aware of his presence at her side, with the added benefit of shielding her from view with his cape. "Meg," he whispered. "Dionysus brought your brothers here… they're alive." He kissed her cheek softly, and it lingered. Did she feel his tears in her hair? "We were just talking about you, darling…" He wrapped her in his arms and nuzzled into her neck. "How was it upstairs?"
How could she answer that question with her brothers staring at her? The only sound she could hear aside from the rushing in her ears was Harmonia's steady suckling, soothing herself to sleep.
"Please…" Theseus's voice cracked from against the wall, where he sat in a huddle. "Please tell me how Galatea is doing…"
"Remarkably well," Megara replied. It is a miracle of the gods. You have a son now. You might want to thank your wife, by the way, before you forget."
A light chuckle brought Megara's attention back in Haemon's direction.
Haemon. She hadn't seen his face in years. Here he was, in the flesh! And here was Menoikeus as well!
"How?" she croaked.
"Oh it was simple, Hades did all the work for me," Dionysus said. "And then I stole them."
Harmonia unlatched herself, and Hercules quickly covered Megara once again. At the far end of the room, Theseus was receiving a round of congratulations from his friend for having a son, but Megara didn't currently care.
"I can't believe you're here," Megara breathed.
Haemon and Menoikeus had evidently waited until she was fully clothed to kneel before her.
"I'm so sorry you had to go through time spent with Hades alone," Menoikeus said. "Neither of us would have abandoned you to that had we known."
"Life in Thebes is…" Megara searched for an appropriate word. She wasn't feeling all that articulate at the moment.
"It's different now," Hercules reminded her. Megarion is king, by the way. And he's married to a dear friend of mine. Your family is prospering."
"Yes," Megara whispered.
Harmonia gazed up at her with an adoration that could not be ignored. She lifted the child for kisses and let her wrap both arms around her face as far as they could go.
"We've got so much to discuss, but I would rather not dampen the spirits of this party any further," Menoikeus said. "I feel like a disquieting guest."
"I can't be happy yet, I've got to know… Are you angry with me for… leaving the way I did?" Haemon asked, setting a hand on Megara's knee as if he were a supplicant begging mercy.
"For what?" Megara's voice surprised her with its gentleness after years of what-if scenarios surrounding her brother's survival. Should I hate you for dying because you were so anguished over losing the one you lost the most?" Her eyes darted toward Hercules. They'd built a beautiful life together, but that had never been a guarantee. "I know what it's like. People always do crazy things when they're in love. You taught me that."
Tears quickly overcame Hercules, who pulled her in close to snuggle both her and Harmonia. "Yeah," he said in a broken voice, quickly hiding his face in her neck. "And then she taught me."
Harmonia was once again beginning to fuss, but Megara would not allow it.
She moved the child to her lap and beckoned someone over with a tray of cheeses. "Baby girl, these are happy tears. When you're big, you'll know what they are." She handed Harmonia a morsel of cheese and kissed her hair.
The effect her words had on Harmonia was remarkable. It was as if the child understood her. She contented herself with the cheese, and Megara returned her focus to her brothers.
"I see you've had time to speak with Herc. Isn't he the most wonderful combination of powerful and softhearted you have ever met?"
"We argue about this all the time," Hercules murmured. "I think she outranks me."
"The way you ran when your daughter cried speaks highly in your favor," Menoikeus agreed.
"When someone needs me, I can't hold back." Megara cast a glance toward Theseus, wondering if he'd heard Galatea call for him. "Maybe that's not a universal trait, so it might speak in my favor."
"What if we didn't sit here while we talked about it?" Hercules asked. There's got to be a courtyard, right?"
"Of course," Megara said. "But I'm tired from running all the way down here and caring for Galatea. I don't know if I can walk somewhere else right now."
"That's not a problem," Hercules said. He got off the couch so he could lift it with the two of them still on it.
"Wow," Haemon marveled.
"It's the height of luxury," Megara said. She held up another bit of cheese for Harmonia to distract her from the heights, but it didn't seem that they bothered her daughter as much as they did her.
Hercules carried her out of the room, and the others followed. He only set the couch down next to a fountain when he'd ensured he found a spot in the shade. "How's this, Meg?"
"You've done well."
"So have you," Haemon said. "I can't believe you tamed your attitude well enough to win over a god."
"Oh, she didn't," Hercules said, though he'd been a little annoyed by the comment. I was enchanted by her spunk and her power. I still am."
Harmonia made a sort of sharp noise that sounded like a rebuke and threw the cheese at Haemon.
"Whoa!" Haemon backed away. "I'm sorry! Please tell the baby to stop shooting me the evil eye!"
Megara placed a new chunk of cheese in her daughter's hand, and Harmonia angrily stuffed it into her mouth with a growl. She had all the menace of a puppy at dinner time. "I finally found a guy delusional enough to enjoy my teasing, but you still don't have a girl who genuinely enjoys your jokes."
Menoikeus and Haemon gasped, but Dionysus was already laughing.
"You two apparently never saw how Megara could work a room," Hercules said. "She's more than a sharp tongue. She's got charm enough to enthrall the mind of anyone she chooses. I'm glad it was me."
"You've really touched his heart, haven't you?" Menoikeus marveled. "I wish we'd known where to find him sooner. I'd have stolen our father's seal to wed you two and send you out of Thebes."
"If you're shocked I touched his heart, you wouldn't believe where else I've touched him."
Hercules swiftly covered her mouth. "All right! That's probably enough for now!" he exclaimed in a breathy, high-pitched voice. "I don't think they need the details!"
Megara snickered behind his hand and kissed his fingers until she was free. "Welcome back to the family, boys," she said. "We're all back from the dead and better than ever."