to the road. Be careful who you talk to. Follow the road back into town. Tell one of the villagers in the market to get Samarias. They are trustworthy. Promise me you'll be careful in the road." Alysa pleaded.

Matthus took her face in his very small hands and said, "I promise. I will be careful. I'll stay out of the road if soldiers come." His simple declaration spoke to her heart, and she clutched him to her.

Quickly they gave Matthus a boost and were amazed at how nimble the little three year old was. He quickly scampered up the "rope" and crawled out into the sunshine. He yelled back into the hole that they weren't too far from their picnic, and he took off running. Within a very short time they were being pelted with apples and clusters of grapes. He peered into the hole and grinned. "Now Iolaus tummy won't be angry." The other children laughed. Alysa gathered their feast and doled it out equally to the children, saving some back for Iolaus.

"He must have meant so you wouldn't have an upset stomach," she laughed softly. But he didn't answer her. She tried to tighten the bandage and reinforce it with the strips Matthus had provided for Iolaus's warmth. Thankfully, the bleeding subsided, but he had lost a lot of blood. She laid his head in her lap, and she stroked his sweat soaked hair. "Please, Hestia, keep Matthus safe, give him speed, and help Iolaus hang on." She wasn't sure why she had selected Hestia. She was the one she used to call on regularly on behalf of her little family. Now she was asking for help for this very large family she had acquired.

Matthus had saved a small apple for himself. He giggled as he walked toward town with a purpose. He made his steps sure and alert, but it tickled to have the juice from the apple trickle down his tummy, both on the inside and the outside. He kept walking but turned to look back at the mine, hoping he would be able to tell them where it was. Because he was so focused on where he had been. He wasn't paying attention to where he was going. And his little heart beat rapidly as he collided with something huge. Matthus turned around slowly to see this very large stranger. He began backing away from him, but the stranger followed.

"Wait! Wait! I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to talk," reassured the stranger. Matthus wasn't sure why he stopped, but he seemed to believe the stranger. "What's your name?"

Matthus struggled within his heart. Alysa hadn't told him to not speak to a stranger; she just told him to be careful who he spoke with. "I can't tell a stranger my name."

"Very good advice, son. My name is Hercules. There now...I'm not a stranger. Have you seen.." Hercules started in his most gentle calm voice.

"You're Hercules?" whispered Matthus.

Hercules slowly nodded but thought to himself, "Zeus! Even little ones say that."

"I'm Matthus, and I live at the orphana, oparna, I live at the place with other kids and Alysa, and Samarias, and we were on a picnic, and the thuddder made a loud noise and it rainded. And we ran to a big cave thing only Iolaus called it a mine."

Hercules smile froze when he heard his friend's name. Hercules was part of a search party looking for Iolaus and some lost children. "Iolaus? Where's the mine?"

"Oh, it's back there, but you can't get in that way cause a big splosion happened and all the wood and rocks crashed down. Then Mella ran away cause she thought it was all her fault.Then Iolaus went to find her, then another splosion happened and Iolaus got hurt, but we didn't know. it."

Hercules didn't think anyone else on earth besides Iolaus could talk so much in a single breath.Then, the child's last words reached up and slapped his mind. Iolaus was hurt."Matthus, if you take me to the mine, I probably can get in and help Iolaus. Can you take me?"

"Yeah, but Alysa says we gotta hurry 'cause...." Matthus's face drew into a serious frown, "Cause Iolaus is bleedin' again."

Hercules's heart ached, and he picked up Matthus and told him to show him the way. Matthus nodded and pointed down the road and allowed Hercules to carry him. When they got to the mine's entrance, Hercules saw that it was just as Matthus had described. Huge boulders and smaller rocks and debris blocked the entrance. "Matthus. I need you to stand back for a few minutes. We don't want you to be hurt as well." Matthus nodded and backed up. Hercules began to quickly, but carefully, remove the wall separating his best friend and himself. Matthus was delighted to watch Hercules pull huge boulders from their spot and toss them like a stone he tried to skip across the lake with Iolaus. The thought of Iolaus again crossed the little boy's mind just as Hercules tossed aside the last barrier.

Matthus walked up solemnly to Hercules and tugged on the sweaty tunic of this huge, strongman. Hercules knelt before him as the small child laid a hand on his shoulder. Very grimly the three year old said, "Iolaus doesn't have on his pants cause of his ouchie. Can you fix his pants? Cause they're his lucky pants, and Iolaus needs to be lucky again."

Hercules swallowed at the painful knot in his throat at the concern of this little one. "We'll find someone who can fix his lucky pants. Let's see if we can get him into town so someone can fix his ouchie, okay?"

Matthus nodded confidently reassured that Iolaus would be all right with this big guy. He marched into the cave, and Hercules followed in disbelief. Herk smiled as Matthus explained about the thread and Theodorus being like "The Zeus." It wasn't long before Hercules scooped Matthus in his strong arms again and rushed along the trail left by Theo. The little one pointed to their room of colors, and he ran to the room. Hercules was not prepared to see what he saw. Small children gathered around a very pale Iolaus. Now, kids surrounding Iolaus was never an oddity, but his friend looked so pale and frail. His breathing was a little ragged, and it was as if these children were willing his next breath. Seated on the ground with Iolaus's head in her lap was a beautiful young woman. Hercules thought for a split second that that wasn't an oddity either.

Seeing the blood pooled around his friends leg, Hercules rushed to his side. "That's Herkaleez. He threw away the big rocks in the doorway the mine. We can get out, and he's Iolaus's best friend, and he carried me most of the way in here, but he didn't hafta, 'cause I was doin' okay, but he wanted to. And he's gonna get Iolaus's lucky pants fixed, and he's gonna get Iolaus fixed up too." Alysa looked up at the demigod astonished. "Thank you," she said softly.

"No, Alysa, thank you for taking care of my friend, but I have to ask you, is Matthus always this talkative," Hercules said to her. He was totally confused when the whole cavern went up in laughter.

Halfway back to town, Iolaus became aware that he was in the open sunlight. He also became aware that Hercules was carrying him. As he slowly became more conscious of the world around him he remembered his pants. "Herc! Put me down! My pants! I can't go into town like this!" Hercules just grinned as Matthus walked up next to them carrying Iolaus's pants.

"I got your lucky pants, Uncle Iolaus. Don't worry cause Uncle Herkaleez is gonna get 'em fixed," Matthus said.  Iolaus grinned at the boy; then it hit him like a ton of bricks. He could talk!

"Put me down, Herk. Just for a minute." Hercules reluctantly agree for a minute. Iolaus grabbed the boy and hugged him. "Thank you, Matthus. Thank all of you for helping me. I..I just," Iolaus dropped his head unaware that someone was dropping a blanket around him. Samarias had run to the lost ones as soon as the news spread through the town.

"Thank you, Iolaus, for taking care of my family," stated Samarias choking back his emotions.

Iolaus reached to grip his hand and almost fell to the ground. Hercules caught him before he hit the ground. "Quickly, Hercules, the healer's already at the house."

Hercules literally ran with his friend in his arms to The House of Hope. The rest of the crowd got there just a little bit later. Alysa and the children told of Iolaus's bravery and all of the lessons they each had learned there. Hercules smiled and told them that it didn't surprise him. "That Iolaus seems to bring out the good in people," he remarked.

The healer was in with Iolaus and Samarias's wife for what seemed forever. Alysa fixed the midday meal and in spite of their deep hunger, not many of the children could eat a single bite. Hercules, Alysa, and Samarias tried to bribe, beg, and tease them into eating. Little Matthus spoke up, "I'll eat when Hercules eats." They all looked to the man who had his friend's welfare in mind more than what his body needed. Alysa and Samarias looked to him also, and Iolaus's previous words haunted him, "You're a role model now." So with a sigh, Hercules sat at the table, and the children all followed suit. They ate in silence, but they ALL ate.

They jumped from the table though when the healer emerged from the sickroom. He cleared his throat and announced, Iolaus will be fine, but he will need bedrest for about...oh, two weeks. Then, he can get up for short periods, and in a couple of weeks he should be able to resume normal activity."

Hercules rolled his eyes and buried his head in his hand as the children laughed and cheered at the prospect of having Iolaus with them for four weeks. Hercules turned to Alysa and said, "You have no idea how impossible that is." Somehow, Alysa had a feeling about that one.

Epilogue:

Four weeks flew by for the children, and surprisingly enough, it did for Iolaus as well. The first couple of weeks were the hardest, but the children visited him often, and he enjoyed that. Alysa also kept him company, and this seemed to not only help Iolaus, but it helped her as well.

But now was the time of departure, and he was having a difficult time with it. Hercules had stayed close by, but from time to time helped out the neighboring villages, and Iolaus knew that it was time to move on. Hercules understood why it was so hard. Iolaus had tasted the family life again, though it wasn't a typical family. Theodorus bravely was the first to say farewell. Iolaus told him how proud he was of him and what a fine hero he'd make one day. Theo beamed at the compliment and threw his arms around Iolaus's waist.

Matthus walked slowly up to him, and handed him a brown bundle. "It's your lucky pants. Dorcas, the sewing lady fixed 'em." Iolaus scooped the little one up and twirled him around.

"Thanks friend, I'll go change right now. Besides, these pants of Samarias's are a little too big," he winked at Alysa as Samarias harumphed at the suggestion. He slipped into his room and returned quickly looking much like his old self. Alysa and Iolaus had made their private good byes earlier, and they both flashed bittersweet smiles at each other. Iolaus sighed and moved outside the orphanage.

Iolaus sought out little Carmella. She had been very quiet that day, quieter than she'd been in a long, long time. He sensed the extreme sadness in her at his leaving. "Carmella, it's time to say farewell. Come on, sweety. Yours is the only hug I'm lacking."

She ran to him and threw her arms around his neck, "Don't leave, Iolaus! Please, don't leave! Can't you stay and be my daddy? I can make you smile, and you said that if you had a little girl like me we'd laugh and smile all the time. I can be your little girl." Iolaus felt the familiar pain in his throat as well as in his heart. The truth was that he'd like nothing better than to be this little one's daddy. But the fates weren't to allow this, and he knew it. The problem was how to help her accept it without shattering her spirit.

"Carmella," he began pulling back to look in her little brown eyes. "Carmella, I love you very much. And if I could, I would love to be your daddy. But right now, I can't stay, and that wouldn't be fair to you. I have to help Hercules fight the bad guys so you can grow up safe. I'll be here when you need me. Anytime you need me, I'll come running. I'll be back again soon. Carmella?"

Somehow the truth of what he'd been saying sunk into her heart, and she raised her head one more time to peer into his deep blue eyes. "If you can't be my daddy, can you be my Uncle Iolaus?"

Iolaus hugged her tightly and whispered, "Yes, my little one. I'll be your Uncle Iolaus, if you'll always be my little one."

A forever bond was made that day.