"Ungodly Hours"

by Kira

Fandom: Crossoever, TS/Hercules:The Lengendary Journey

Ratings: It will get up to NC17 m/m and m/m/m

warnings: Spoilers for some of the Hercules Episodes...suspension of belief for the plausibility of everything is required <G>

Disclaimer: none of the men contained in this story belong to me. They hang around my apartment, but alas, I don't own 'em <eg>

Note: Okay. This is the deal. This story is for the dear sweet Rebekah who is a fellow Hercules fan. (stop laughing everyone!) Hercules was the first fandom I ever had. I got introduced to fanfic...and slash in particular through this show and haven't looked back. Anyway, Rebekah wanted to see the boys from both shows get together, so this is a cross over. Yeah. Really. :) So you'll have to bear with me as I finish and post this requested story <g>

"Ungodly Hours"
by Kira

"Hey Herc, did you ever wonder why the sky is blue? I mean, why blue? Why not yellow, or orange or red or..."

"Iolaus, your babbling. I actually heard that the light is refracted from the water in the air and blue is the dominant colour so that..."

"Yeah right! Next thing you'll be telling me that the earth isn't flat!"

"Well actually..."The two bickered good-naturedly as they hiked down the road towards Corinth before settling into a companionable silence. After preventing a war between a group of misunderstood Amazons and a town bent on routing the women from their forest, the demi-god and the hunter were ready for a rest.

The sun shone brightly and a light breeze tousled the golden curls of the hunter as he shifted his sword onto his left shoulder. A sigh escaped his lips before he could trap it. Hercules looked down at his partner in concern, seeing for the first time the lines of exhaustion etching his handsome features.

"Hey buddy, are you okay? I haven't heard a word from you the last two leagues," he asked with a smile. Iolaus glanced up and grinned.

"I'm fine *mother*. I'm just a bit...tired? We haven't had a break in a while you know and some of us are mortal." Hercules grinned back and they continued their journey. As the forest gave way to a small village, the sun had already began its slow its descent behind the mountains. The village consisted of a few cottages and an inn sprawling near a meadow where herds of cows contentedly chewing their cud. There were lanterns lighting the street, smoke drifting lazily from chimneys, filling the air with the fragrant scent of birch. The villagers looked at the pair with curiosity as they entered the outskirts of the town.

Iolaus eyed the inn hungrily."Hey Herc, how about actually sleeping indoors for a change, with a real bed?" Iolaus asked eagerly, "Besides I'm starving and whatever they're cooking in there smells like ambrosia!"

More than happy to concede to the hunter's desire for a warm bed and a good meal, Hercules gestured for Iolaus to lead the way and they entered into the warmth of the inn. There were a number of tables, mostly empty and a courter behind which lounged a middle aged man. A great bear of a man, the imposing barkeep was middle aged with greying black hair and a rounded middle which bespoke a sedentary life style. But his eyes danced with laughter and lightheartedness. Upon seeing the newcomers he walked around the counter, wiping his hands on a towel that had seen better days.

"Welcome strangers, what can I do for you? An ale? A meal? A room? A hot bath?" He cleared away some abandoned mugs of ale and nodded to Hercules and Iolaus to sit down.

"We'll take all of the above thanks," Iolaus replied, sinking onto the bench with a contented grunt. He set his sword up against the leg of the table and took a deep drink of the mead that the innkeeper placed in front of him. Hercules quickly followed suit. Hercules watched with amusement as Iolaus powered through three bowls of rabbit stew and two more mugs of ale before sitting back with a contented sigh.

"Had enough Iolaus?"

"Well I really didn't want to eat that nice man out of house and home and I have plans for later which involve some strenuous activity and would hate to do it on a full stomach." Iolaus batted his eyelashes at his lover. " Anyway, it beats your cooking any day. How anyone who has such a great cook as a mother manages to burn water is beyond me."

"Hhmmph." was all Hercules would grace that jest with. The Innkeeper, who introduced himself as Atonus came up to them as they relaxed in front of the fireplace. "Sir, your bath is ready."

Iolaus grinned at his friend, "See the respect I get here Herc, I think I'll just take up residence here!" Then he looked back at the innkeeper, "Please, Atonus, call me Iolaus. But feel free to make Hercules here feel important. Lead on to the bath!!" He leaned over and whispered in Hercules' ear. "Don't wait too long or the water will get cold."

Later, glowing clean, his damp hair curling on the nape of his neck, and thoroughly and utterly loved by Hercules, Iolaus reclined face down on the bed enjoying the soft strokes Hercules laved around his shoulders and spine. Hercules avoided going any further down towards the firmly muscles ass cheeks, too exhausted to try anymore bedroom gymnastics that night.

"Herc?"

"Yeah?"

"How soon is Iphicles expecting us?"

"Not right away I guess...Why?"

"Do we have to leave right away?"

"You mean stay here?"

"Yeah."

Hercules looked down at his lover and upon seeing how languid and relaxed he was, realized that it was about time they took a break. More time to spend uninterrupted, whiling away the time with a certain blond lover. Oh yeah.

"I guess it couldn't hurt."

Iolaus' eyes opened and he grinned a blinding smile at Hercules. "Kewl"

Hercules snorted at the aphroditeism.

*******

The next few days were filled with big meals, warm beds and the welcoming hospitality of the villagers who took to the heros after the first day. In return for their generosity the duo partook in the mundane, boring, everyday chores that had to be completed, mending fences and roofs, tilling fields and some odd black smithing. And they loved it. For once, no bandits attached, no monsters decided that the village looked extremely tasty, and no crazy gods made an appearance to disturb the peaceful tranquility of the villagers lives. Their nights where filled with hot sex and tender love.

It was the fourth day of their holiday, when Hercules chanced upon his lover telling stories of their adventures to pack of children in various stages of dirtiness and charm.

"...and so then I shot Hercules with Artemis's bow.."

"did it hurt?" A small boy asked, removing his thumb from his mouth to ask the question with a faint lisp.

"No... Hercules didn't feel a thing. So Hercules was saved from being a pig..."

"I have a pig.

"That's nice. And Hercules took his lady pig friend and went to bring her back to the farm where her..."

"My pigs name is Brasius."

"That's a neat name. So on their way back to the farm Aphrodite met up with them and she thought it would be neat if she could be a person like Hercules was pig. So she took Artemis's bow and turned her into a woman."

"did it hurt?"

"No it didn't hurt.

Hercules laughed behind his hand at the sight of the golden hunter surrounded by a crowd of adoring children who insisted on peppering the story with questions and comments.

"Your friend has a wonderful way with children." Hercules turned to the woman who watched with open amusement at the story teller. Sertia smiled and looked at her fourteen year old son who hung back at the edges of the circle of children, obviously interested but old enough to think he shouldn't be. He's be a wonderful father.

"Yes he is. He also has way of telling the stories so that all of the embarrassing things happen to me. He's a born natural." Hercules replied with a sharp pang at the thought of Iolaus' son who had died and the fact that they would never have children of their own. But sometimes you payed the price for love...that was one thing Hercules had learned a long, long time ago.

"Hercules, I understand that Iolaus is a rather renowned hunter."

"That would be an understatement actually, he's the best there is." Hercules said with evident pride.

"Do you....do you think he'd take Erik out with him hunting while he is here? Atonus can't get away from the inn for more than an hour at a time and Erik has always wanted to go. Would you be willing to ask?" Sertia asked hesitantly, lowering her eyes in embarrassment.

"Tell you what Sertia, why don't you ask him yourself. Given how Iolaus feels about hunting I can't see him refusing."

Hercules prediction was more than accurate, Iolaus responded to the request with abundant enthusiasm which couldn't help but spill out onto Erik. Iolaus confided to Hercules that he was reluctant to miss the time that they were spending together, but he couldn't let the young man down, not after his own abandonment by his father.

The boy was at first shy around the partner of such a legendary hero as Hercules but the youthful antics of Iolaus soon put him at ease and they sat together, two blond heads bent earnestly over a map as they mapped out their plans. Atonus and Sertia were more than happy that their son would get a chance to hunt with their new found friend and Hercules was happy that his lover would be able to do that which he loved above all else -- with the exception of having great sex -- spending a couple of days in a forest.

********

"Iolaus! Look at me!" Iolaus glanced up at the voice which trickled down to him from the top of the oak tree.

"Erik, you probably should come down, your mother would kill me if you broke a leg!"

The boy scrambled down the branches and watched intently as Iolaus demonstrated how to set a snare. The two had been camping for the last two nights under the stars and during the day Erik had been soaking up all of Iolaus' "old hunters tricks". There was no doubt that both were enjoying themselves immensely.

"Do you have any kids Iolaus?" Erik asked as they lay on their backs after enjoying the rabbit that they had caught, gazing at the bright pin pricks over head which twinkled against a deep black sky. Iolaus felt his breath catch in his throat at the innocent question which evoked such strong memories even after all of this time.

"I did. I had a son. He was just a baby when the plague went through our village and he died."

"Do you miss him?"

"Very much." Iolaus looked a the boy, almost a man, and felt a twinge of regret. Having a family simply didn't go with the lifestyle that he led -- in so many ways, not just his relationship with Hercules -- but no matter how often he told himself he was happy with his lot in life, a part of him wished for that which he practically couldn't have. "But I have a good time traveling around and helping and meeting new people, and sometimes when I'm really lucky, I get to spend time with kids like you who I can do stuff with...stuff I wanted to do with my own son."

"Iolaus?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks. This has been really great."

Iolaus grinned at him, his teeth flashing in the dark. Erik turned onto his side and fell asleep, confident that Iolaus could protect him from the dark. For his part, Iolaus lay awake contemplating the fates that had conspired to bring him to where he was, wishing for Hercules strong arms to surround him. With a sigh, he turned over himself and drifted off into Morpheus' kingdom.

* * *

The next day they started back. Iolaus was starting to look for a place to camp when his hunters instincts when on full alert. Erik could sense a difference in the way the older man walked beside him. Suddenly Iolaus pulled him off the trail and putting his mouth close to his left ear whispered "Erik, stay behind this bush and don't make a sound...okay?"

Erik nodded in confusion but crouched behind the gorsebush trustingly.

Iolaus slowly padded through the forest his senses keyed to the sounds and sights of the woods. The silence of the forest worried him. The birds were quiet and the squirrel that had been chattering contentedly above him suddenly skittered away into the shelter of the leafy canopy.

Voices filtered through the trees and Iolaus wasn't hard pressed to identify them. Ares, Strife and Discord. Great, just what he needed, a couple of gods who really had it in for him.

Iolaus crept back to where Erik remained hidden.

"Erik...I need you to go back to the village and get Hercules. As fast as you can. Can you do that?" He knew that Hercules would want to make sure the trio didn't cause any trouble, but he didn't want to leave just in case they were up to their old tricks. Erik nodded and Iolaus patted him on the back.

"Good. Now go!" He hissed. Erik took of through the bush and Iolaus crept silently back to the trees bordering the clearing. He crouched silently, waiting...waiting. He didn't have to wait very long. A hand appeared out of nowhere, grabbing the nape of his neck and lifting him effortless into the air.

"Well, well, well. Look what we have here." A leather-clad Ares smirked as he propelled Iolaus into the clearing.

"Ooooh. Ares, let me have some fun." Discord looked at the pair with an evil smile.

"Now, now Discord. You know that I'm looking to catch a bigger fish. He's just the bait."

Iolaus twisted his neck around to look at Ares.

"What are you talking about?"

"What do you think? Hercules will come running and then I'll have my revenge."

Iolaus barely had time to register the ball of energy in Ares' hand when everything went dark.

******

Hercules pounded through the underbrush. As soon as Erik had arrived with the message from Iolaus, Hercules knew that something was wrong. He had a sinking feeling deep in the pit of this stomach that this was going to be bad. Really bad.

And as usual, he was right. He skidding into the clearing and took in the plateau before him. Ares stood facing his half brother, Discord and Strife holding a limp Iolaus between them. Ares smiled evilly.

"So, bro. You want your little 'buddy' back?" The god of war managed to place a dirty innuendo into the his voice. "Want your little catamite back? Come and get him."

With a flick of his wrist, Ares gestured to Strife and Discord. A flash of light later and Iolaus was gone.

"What did you do to him!!?" Hercules roared, grabbing Ares by the front of his leather vest.

"Hey, easy on the thread there, big buy." Ares smirked. He held up a hand and a small box materialized in his palm.

"He's in here. We trapped his soul. Now. If you want him back...I'll cut you a deal --" Ares was cut off as Discord and Strife broke in.

"Slight change of plans Ares. Life will be so much sweeter with the both of you out of the way." Discord sneered.

"Bye Bye!" Strife chortled. Hercules didn't have time to blink before darkness obscured his vision and consciousness faded.

"Oh boy! It worked!" Strike gibbered, jumping up and down. "So now what?"

Discord looked at her fellow god with disdain.

"Now they suffer the curse of Mendora's box. Forever trapped until released by a mortal god." She snorted. "A mortal god...like that'll ever happen. Now we just tuck the box away into those caves over there, and we're in the clear." With a triumphant smile she gazed upon the box. "Sleep well boys. Its my world now."

The seasons passed, the centuries turned and the millenniums rolled by. The little box lay undisturbed. Until one fine July morning when a palaeontologist looking for fossils it was uncovered from a pile of dirt and rubble. It slowly traveled the world, bought and sold by many hands, sitting on many shelves and in many a closet, across continents and across time. Until it came to a rainy city in a distant land.

*********

"Hey Jim! Look what I picked up" Jim looked up as Blair came in the door, scattering book bag, coat and hikers as he went to his room only to return holding a brown paper wrapped parcel. Jim smiled tolerantly at his partner's enthusiasm.

"You found something?"

"Oh yeah, man. I love garage sales. You can find such neat stuff at them. I found this neat thing," Blair carefully unwrapped his prize. "It has some carvings, I think that they're ancient Greek, and I'm pretty sure I can translate them. Hold on. It says, lets see."

Jim waited patiently as Blair scrutinized the sides of the box. He continued to wait as Blair pursed his lips in thought. He continued to wait, content to gaze at his friend's face. It was a nice face. Jim had put in many hours watching that face. He didn't think that Blair had noticed...he hoped not. He wasn't ready to act on his growing attraction to his roommate. He wasn't gay. He wasn't. It was just Blair. It had to be.

"I got it! It says 'Freedom only comes by the hands of the moral god.' What do you think that means?" Blair looked up at his Sentinel. It was all Jim could do not to kiss that sensuous mouth. But instead he reached over and took the box into his hands, tracing the intricate symbols with sentinel fingers. He frowned as he detected a slight vibration. He was about to look up and ask Blair what was happening when the room was enveloped in a brilliant flash of light.

When the spots cleared and he finished blinking the tears out of his eyes the box was gone.

"What in Tartarus just happened?!" A strange voice asked, filled with confusion and a tinge of anger.

And there were three more people in the loft.

end part 2

Email: ktomsons@ns.sympatico.ca.