Decisions
by Kelly Weingart


	All things considered, if not for the people involved it 
would have been rather unremarkable.
	Iolaus never saw it coming. Neither did Hercules, which 
says quite a bit for the speed of the assassin. He was doing a 
commendable job of blending into the crowded tavern, striking just 
as the two friends walked by. The knife, previously concealed 
beneath his robes, flashed once, then it was buried to the hilt in 
Iolaus's chest, and the blond man was sinking to his knees, face 
pale. Hercules lowered him gently to the ground, shouting for the 
waitress to bring bandages. The assassin ran for the door, finding it 
blocked by a large man, late in life, but still in good shape, armed 
with a sword. "Think again, boy," he growled. "You're not going 
anywhere." Several men surrounded the assassin and an angry 
rumbling was rapidly spreading throughout the tavern. Without any 
other option available, the assassin raised his hands and 
surrendered.
	The man with the sword pushed his way through the crowd. 
"Hercules? How is he?"
	"Not good, Jason," the demigod looked at his step-father 
with an unusually defenseless look in his eyes. "The blade cut deep 
and close to his heart. He's losing a lot of blood."
	"Can we move him? Maybe we should get him to 
Alcmene." Jason knelt next to the still form before him.
	"I don't know," Hercules admitted. "We certainly can't 
leave him lying on the floor."
	"Herc?" Iolaus coughed weakly, gasping at the pain it 
caused in his chest.
	"I'm right here, Iolaus. So is Jason. You're going to be all 
right. I promise," Hercules lied through his teeth. "Just rest."
	"What happened?" Iolaus closed his eyes against the light, 
which was becoming unbearably bright. His whole chest burned 
with every breath and he could feel something warm across his chest 
and side. 'Blood,' he thought absently. He was surprisingly 
unconcerned.
	"We're not sure yet, but I'll find out, don't worry," Hercules 
reassured him. "Now just rest, okay? We're going to take you to 
Mother." 
	"Favor, Herc?"
	"Anything."
	Iolaus opened his eyes slightly, trying to bring Hercules' 
face into focus. "Hit him for me, okay?"
	"Believe me, I will." Hercules raised his eyes to the 
assassin, now thoroughly bound to a chair and surrounded by a 
hostile crowd. Despite the fact that he had no idea what Hercules 
and Iolaus were saying, the man blanched at the glare on Hercules' 
face. Oddly satisfied, Hercules turned back to his friend, just in time 
to see his eyes close. He placed a hand on Iolaus's chest, holding his 
breath until he felt the slight rise and fall of breathing. "Let's get 
him out of here." The waitress finally returned with some clean 
cloths which Hercules used to stem the bleeding. "Can we get a cart 
or something to carry him on? I don't want to carry him that far, it 
would probably do more damage than good."
	"I'll see what I can do." Jason disappeared into the crowd, 
only to reappear a few minutes later, pulling a young man in tow. 
"He'll let us use his cart. Let's go."
	"Help me steady him," Hercules ordered. He slowly lifted 
his friend, being careful to move him as little as possible. Jason held 
Iolaus's head steady. "Careful, slowly. All right, let's get outside." 
Jason jerked his head at the man who had lent them his cart. "Lead 
the way, friend. I'll clear a path for us."
	As quickly as they dared, they made their way outside.
***
	Iolaus was awakened by a dull throbbing in his chest. Not 
intense enough to be truly painful, it was just disconcerting enough 
to be distracting. He took a deep breath and forced his eyes open.
	Then immediately shut them again when he was nearly 
blinded by the light.
	He heard laughter from somewhere behind him. "Sorry 
about that, friend. Try it again, slowly this time."
	Iolaus did as suggested, slowly opening his eyes, letting 
them adjust to the light. When he could finally open them all the 
way, he blinked a couple of times, then turned around.
	The voice had seemed familiar and now he saw why.
	"Hades," Iolaus greeted resignedly. "How's Persephone?"
	The God of the Dead shook his head. "You've got more 
immediate worries, Iolaus."
***
	A few minutes later Iolaus was on his feet, following Hades 
through a dark, misty cavern. "So - what? I'm dead again?"
	"Not quite, no," Hades replied. "Do you remember what 
happened right before you came here?"
	"I was in the tavern with Hercules. We'd just gotten home, 
and had spent all day building that damned wall," Iolaus rolled his 
eyes. "It took me the better part of an hour to convince him to take a 
break."
	Hades grimaced slightly, then caught himself. Unsightly 
slip for a God. "Well, you're taking a break all right."
	"Did something happen at the tavern? Is Hercules all 
right?" Hades found himself on the receiving end of a piercing stare. 
It was a little intimidating. "Hercules is fine. A little worried about 
you, but otherwise unharmed."
	"What happened to me?"
	"What else? Hera just found out about you two rescuing 
Echidna’s baby and she threw a little fit. She possessed some 
simple-minded fool and convinced him that killing you and Hercules 
was his ticket into the Elysian Fields." Hades shook his head. "The 
poor fool will come to his senses any minute now, surrounded by a 
very large group of very angry villagers, and not have the slightest 
idea what happened to him."
	"So this guy killed me?" Iolaus asked. He had a feeling he 
was missing something, but couldn't quite figure out what.
	"Not yet." Hades held up a hand to ward off any questions. 
"He stabbed you. Hercules and Jason are taking you to Alcmene 
even as we speak. Right now you are somewhere between life and 
death. Fading fast, but holding on with whatever strength you have 
left."
	"The ache in my chest..." Iolaus pressed a hand to his chest 
absently.
	"Where you were stabbed. The shadows of what is 
happening to your body are following you over here." Hades 
shrugged. "There's nothing I can do about that."
	"I don't understand," Iolaus sighed wearily. "It wasn't like 
this the last time I died."
	"That's for two reasons. One," Hades held out a finger, "last 
time Hercules brought you here, not Hermes and Charon. That 
called for a deviation from the normal procedure. Two," he held up 
a second finger, "you're not dead. Zeus asked me to help you out. 
That calls for a large deviation from normal procedure. After all," 
he added confidentially, "when the King of the Gods asks you to do 
something, you do it. And fast."
	"I would think so," Iolaus agreed.
	Hades kept walking without comment for several minutes. 
"So you're wondering what the Hell that has to do with you, am I 
right?"
	"You're right," Iolaus said.
	"Of course I'm right. I'm a God." Hades grinned. "Here's 
the deal. Zeus found out about Hera's plan and tried to stop her, but 
by the time he got the whole story out of her, it was too late. So he 
sent me a message and here we are." He gestured around the 
nondescript cavern.
	"Where exactly is 'here'?"
	"In between life and death. Some humans call it the shadow 
realm. It's really nothing so much as a waiting room for exceptional 
cases."
	Iolaus looked around and saw no one but himself. "I guess 
I'm flattered."
	"You should be."
	"What's the catch?"
	"I knew that would come up eventually." Hades stopped 
and took a seat on a large rock, gesturing for Iolaus to do the same. 
"Basically, my job right now is to convince you not to die."
	"That's not going to be a hard sell," Iolaus said wryly. "I'm 
not exactly looking forward to spending eternity down here. No 
offense," he added hastily. "Just not yet."
	"Understandable," Hades said with a shrug. "But you see, in 
every human being there is a - a tiredness, if you will, that causes 
them to wish for eternal rest. Even you. As close to death as you are, 
and considering every thing you've been through lately, especially 
that thing with the Enforcer, the tiredness is very close to the 
surface. Whether you realize it or not. That tiredness must be dealt 
with and defeated before you can rejoin the living. Otherwise, you're 
body will weaken and eventually you will die."
	"I don't understand."
	Hades clarified. "You say that you don't want to stay here in 
the Elysian Fields. If that were completely true, you wouldn't be 
here, you'd have already returned to your body. Inside every human 
is a part that is so tired from the hurts and trials they endure 
practically everyday that they want nothing more than to rest. You 
are no different. You must find the tiredness and conquer it in order 
to return. Find some reason for living that outweighs you reasons for 
dying. Get it?"
	"Got it. But why?"
	"Pardon?"
	"Why help me? No offense, Hades, but your job is to keep 
people here, not help them leave. Why are you telling me how to get 
home?"
	"Not everyone is the best friend of my favorite nephew. Not 
everyone is a favorite of Zeus. And it's not everyone who throws 
Hera into a murderous rage simply by living. When Hercules killed 
that fire bitch and brought you back, Hera threw one hell of a temper 
tantrum. Lasted weeks. We all kept a low profile until it blew over. 
Poor Hermes still won't show his face on Mount Olympus after she 
turned his caduceus into a fire breathing snake that nearly burned 
his wings off. Zeus finally calmed her down by threatening to turn 
her into a sword and giving her to Hercules as a gift." Hades smiled 
at the memory. "She almost blew her top. Made Hephaestus look 
tame."
	"Sounds like Hera," Iolaus grinned slightly. "How do I do 
this?"
	Hades gave him a charming smile. "I have no idea. I've 
never really done this before."
	Iolaus stared.
***
	"Alcmene!" Jason burst through the door of his home. 
"Alcmene hurry!"
	His wife, Alcmene, mother of Hercules, hurried into the 
room. "Jason? What is it? What's wrong?"
	"Iolaus has been hurt. Stabbed. Hercules is bringing him 
here. I ran ahead so you could get ready." He looked her in the eyes. 
"It's bad Alcmene."
	Her breath caught in her throat. "I'll get ready.  When 
Hercules gets here tell him to bring Iolaus into the extra bedroom." 
She hurried out of the room. As she gathered her supplies a sort of 
despair filled her. Iolaus had been practically a son since he and 
Hercules first became friends and she worried for him  as much as 
she worried about Hercules. She knew the risks that they faced 
during their adventures, had always known that sooner or later it 
may catch up with them. But to actually face it was something else 
entirely. She remembered with awful clarity the day Iolaus had died 
to warn Hercules about Hera's enforcer. Only Hercules's 
stubbornness and Hades gratefulness had prevented Iolaus's 
permanent death. She didn't think any of them were ready to face 
that again, especially her son. Iolaus couldn't die, not like this. She 
heard voices outside. Hercules. She grabbed a last few things and 
hurried into the other room. She saw Hercules carrying Iolaus. She 
grimaced slightly at the amount of blood covering the blond man's 
chest; his vest was literally soaked in it. "Bring him in here," she 
said. Hercules followed her into the bedroom, setting Iolaus down on 
the bed. "Get his vest off so I can see what I'm doing, then his 
boots." She saw Hercules move to comply but she was busy 
preparing her supplies. "I'm going to need you to help."
***
	One minute you’re having a good time at the local pub, 
having a drink and catching up with old friends, telling a story or 
two and the next you’re in the afterworld with no idea how to get 
out.
	Frustrating. To say the least.
	Iolaus gazed around the Shadow Realm, as Hades had 
called it. It looked pretty much like it sounded; a deep set of 
interconnecting caverns shrouded with mists and shadows. Iolaus 
hadn’t run into anyone yet, and if what Hades had said was true, 
then he wasn’t likely to.
	‘So I have to come up with a way to go home. Great. 
Fantastic. Like I know how to not be dead. Well, I know how to stay 
*alive* but that’s more of a preventing death thing. Actually being 
dead is something entirely different.’
	Which was all entirely unimportant in the grand scheme of 
things.
	Conquer the tiredness. Easier said than done. Now that 
Iolaus knew what was going on and had time to think it through, he 
realized just how difficult the task Hades had set before him truly 
was. ‘How do you conquer something that’s a part of you?’
	He sat heavily, leaning against the wall of the cavern. 
Images swirled through his mind. Good and bad, past and present 
mixed and blended together. Ania, the first time he had seen her; 
Hercules fighting Echidna; Deianara and Hercules just after their 
oldest was born; Xena and her friend, Gabrielle; Salmoneus trying 
to peddle Hercules brand name footwear and the look on Hercules’ 
face when he found out; the first time he had met Hercules’ half-
sisters; Ania again, this time heavily pregnant, laughing; Alcmene 
and Jason’s wedding; the Hydra; Hera’s enforcers, water and fire; 
his cousin King Orestes and his beautiful wife Niobe, probably the 
only woman Iolaus had loved since Ania; his mother and father, 
then just his mother; Ania, pale and weak, dying in his arms; and 
more jumbled and bunched and in no particular order. The clearest 
thought in his mind was suddenly the last image he had had of 
Hercules in the tavern, leaning over him, a worried smile on his 
face, trying to reassure him that everything would be all right. He 
was suddenly worried about his friend.
	The ache in his chest suddenly burned, sending waves of 
pain through him. He doubled over, gasping for breath, and felt his 
mind leave him.
	Suddenly he was on the floor of a building. He heard voices 
around him, people moving. He raised his head slowly, hands still 
pressed against his chest. He stared as he found himself staring at 
himself.
	It was his body, to be more precise. Lying on a bed in 
Alcmene and Jason’s guest room with Alcmene leaning over him. 
Hercules stood by the side of the bed, worry written on every feature. 
It all made a bizarre kind of sense to Iolaus.
	Alcmene pressed something against Iolaus’ chest, and on 
the other side of the room he felt the pain lessen. The world around 
him started to blur and he heard Hercules say something. But the 
words were as distorted as the rest of the world, and he slipped away 
from it.
	The Shadow Realm welcomed him back. He gasped for 
breath, disappointment flashing through him. He wasn’t sure how, 
but he had a feeling he had been close to getting back.
	The pain dulled even more, but was still greater than it had 
been previously.  He sat back against the wall, taking deep breaths, 
trying to calm his breathing. So he had been close. But how? What 
had he done? He’d just been sitting there, in the same place he was 
now, thinking about his life. He’d wondered if Hercules was really 
all right, despite Hades assurances, then his chest started burning 
and he was face to face with his body.
	He tipped his head back against the wall. He was missing 
something, he just wasn’t sure what. 
***
	“Is he all right?”
	Alcmene met her son’s anxious expression with a 
reassuring smile. “I think so. He’s breathing easier and the bleeding 
has stopped. It’s just a matter of time now. If he doesn’t wake up 
within the next couple of days...” she didn’t finish. She didn’t need 
to.
	“What can we do in the meantime?”
	“Not much. Keep him warm, make sure someone watches 
him at all times. And we really ought to try and get some food into 
him. He’s going to need his strength.” Alcmene laid a hand on 
Hercules’ shoulder. “Stay here, I’ll bring in some broth in a little 
while. Let me know if anything happens.”
	Hercules took a seat in the chair beside the bed. This was 
the part he was bad at. The waiting and worrying. He’d much rather 
take on every warlord in Greece than sit here beside the still form of 
his best friend. He wondered absently about the assassin, but decided 
he really didn’t care. The man wanted to kill people, let him rot.
	A flash of light made him glance up. “Aphrodite?”
	“Hey, big brother? How’s it going?” The goddess of love 
and beauty, dressed in flowing silk and lace stood at the foot of the 
bed.
	“Not very well.”
	“Yeah, too bad. He’s kinda cute.” She smiled brilliantly. 
“And a great kisser.”
	“Aphrodite...”
	“Daddy dearest asked me to give you a little message.”
	“Why you?”
	“Hermes was busy with a message to Poseidon and I had 
nothing better to do. Besides, who says no to the King of the Gods?” 
This was apparently a rhetorical question so Hercules didn’t bother 
answering. “What’s the message?”	
	“Oh. Daddy says to tell you that the assassin was sent by 
Hera. She promised him eternity in the Elysian Fields in exchange 
for killing Iolaus.”
	Hercules shook his head. “Only Hades can do that.”
	“Yeah, well. You know that and I know that, but does this 
guy know that?” She shrugged. “Silly mortals. I never figured out 
how you could stand them.”
	“They have their good points.”
	Aphrodite winced slightly, shot an apologetic look at the 
unconscious Iolaus. “Right. Sorry.”
	“Is that all?”
	“No.” Hercules sighed. It couldn’t ever be easy, could it? 
	“Daddy also said that this guy is really nuts and kinda 
desperate. He escaped from the jail a while back and he’ll probably 
try to finish what he started. Although personally,” she added 
confidentially, “if this guy is stupid enough to take you on face to 
face in your own home...He deserves whatever Hera’ll do to him.”
	“I’m not going to argue with you. Why is Zeus telling me 
this?”
	Aphrodite smiled. “Just for the hell of it, I suppose. He 
really likes Iolaus. Says he’s the smartest human he’s met in a 
while.”
	Hercules sighed. His mother and best friend had been 
trying to get him to at least talk to his father ever since Hera killed 
Deianara and the kids. It didn’t really surprise him that Zeus would 
like Iolaus. “If he likes him so much, why doesn’t he help him?”
	“Oh, you don’t know do you?”
	“Don’t know what?” Hercules was immediately wary. 
	“Daddy’s got Hades working on it. Something about inner 
souls and subconscious desires. I found it all dreadfully hard to 
understand.” She shrugged. “That’s all. Gotta go. Say ‘hi’ to your 
mom for me.”
	Hercules frowned as Aphrodite faded away with a small 
burst of light. While he hadn’t minded seeing his sister again, her 
message had certainly confused things. Hercules almost wished that 
Hera’s assassin would try something. Hercules was in the mood for a 
good fight.
***
	Iolaus was almost positive he had it.
	He hadn’t been - transported for lack of a better word - 
back to the real world until he’d started remembering. So maybe 
that had something to do with it. 
	So he settled down against the wall, cleared his mind, took 
a deep breath and began to relive his past.
	He remembered his first meeting with Xena and the 
betrayal afterward, how she had later changed her ways and fought 
along side him and Hercules as an ally and friend. He thought of 
Gabrielle, the pretty, young bard who traveled with Xena looking for 
adventure and a new life. He thought of Ania’s smiling face, of 
Niobe’s face as she found out he had deceived her. He remembered 
Alcmene’s indignation at the various stunts and escapades he and 
Hercules had gotten into. He thought of Hercules as he had last seen 
him, during that brief moment of clarity, and the worlds lurched 
around him.
	He was once again in the guest room, seeing his 
unconscious body lying on the bed. Hercules sat in the chair beside 
it, apparently asleep. Iolaus smiled lightly. Good old Herc. Always 
there when you need him. 
	He pressed a hand to his chest. The pain was stronger 
again, but differently. Before it had been all-encompassing, but 
centered in his chest. Now the pain was almost completely centered 
in his chest, with a mild pounding in his head. That had to be 
important. But how? Was he getting closer?
	Iolaus heard a sound, like a footstep on dry grass, outside 
the window. He levered himself to his feet, slowly made his way to 
the window. He saw a man making his way around the house, 
probably making sure everyone was asleep. He was vaguely 
familiar...The man who’d stabbed him. ‘Oh, shit,’ he thought. He 
turned back to Hercules. ‘That guy is going to be here in just a 
minute and Herc’s out cold. We are both in deep.’ “Damnit. I’d like 
to come back to life before this guy kills me again,” he muttered.
	Hercules shifted in his sleep, mumbling under his breath. 
Iolaus looked at him thoughtfully. “Herc? Did you hear me?”
	Hercules shifted again.
	“You did! You can hear me! Hey, HERC!”
	Hercules awoke with a start. “Iolaus?” he mumbled. 
	“It’s me, Herc! Over here.” Iolaus waved but Hercules 
didn’t seem to see him.
	Hercules checked the still form on the bed. “Great,” he 
muttered. “Now I’m hearing things.”
	“Herc!” Iolaus shouted. “Damnit, Herc, listen to me! 
There’s somebody outside! He’s going to kill us both!”
	But the brief moment of comprehension had passed and 
Hercules dropped back into the chair, already half asleep. Iolaus 
slammed his fist against the wall...
	...and fell halfway through the wall.
	“Whoa.” Iolaus found himself face to face with his would-
be assassin. “Well, well, well. Who do we have here?” Just for the 
hell of it Iolaus poked his finger at the man’s forehead. It passed 
right through. “I’m intangible! Cool. Too bad I have to be dead to 
do it.” 
	He was trying to figure out what to do when he felt a 
familiar pulling as the world began to lose focus. “No!” he shouted. 
“No, damnit! I can’t leave now! Herc’s in danger!”
	“No!” he choked on the last shout, his chest flaring with 
sudden, intense pain. He opened his eyes and found himself staring 
at the ceiling. “What-?” he looked to his side, saw Hercules asleep in 
the chair. “I’m back,” he whispered. “Oh, shit, that hurts!”
	He levered himself into a sitting position, resting his head 
against the wall. “Hercules? Herc, it’s Iolaus.” He pursed his lips 
and grinned. “HEY, HERC!”
	Hercules practically jumped out of the chair and stared at 
him. “Iolaus! You’re awake!”
	“Unfortunately,” Iolaus grimaced. “Herc, there’s somebody 
outside. The guy who stabbed me, I think.”
	“Will you be all right?”
	“Get the little creep.” Iolaus waved at him to get moving. 
“I’ll be fine.”
	“I’ll wake, Mother,” Hercules said, and left the room.
	Iolaus lay back against the pillows, exhausted, the pain in 
his chest aggravated by his recent movement. “I did it.”
	“Indeed.”
	Iolaus looked up. “Hades. Thanks.”
	“You did it yourself,” Hades said. “You couldn’t leave 
Hercules to be surprised by an assassin and that was enough to fight 
off death. Very impressive. And that,” he said with a quick smile, 
“is my opinion as a God *and* as Hercules’ uncle.”



End