Disclaimers: Some characters owned by Universal. No 
harm, no foul.
Series: War God 2, chapter 11
Rating: NC17, A/J, Iolaus/Hercules
Date: 11 April 1999
Note: I pretty much hate the current season and since my 
series is seriously AU, this is my *fix* for what the show's 
writers did to our golden warrior.
*********************
What Dreams May Come
by
Athea
*********************

	Iolaus paced nervously in the anteroom of the God of 
War's temple in Thrace.  He really didn't want to go in there 
but he needed help in the worst way and he couldn't think of 
anyone else to ask.  Girding his courage and thanking all the 
gods that Hercules had stopped to spend some time with 
Jason and Iphicles, he stepped into the darkened sanctum
and went up to the large intricately carved throne.

	"Ares.  It's Iolaus.  I need a favor."  He put all his heart 
and soul into the plea, contentrating on the sardonic features 
that used to push all his buttons.

	"Iolaus."  The deep voice said his name with a puzzled 
note.

	He opened his eyes and saw the god of war sitting 
forward in the throne.  "Thanks for coming.  I need . . ."

	"Whoa, Iolaus.  Don't think so fast.  All I'm getting is a 
jumble of weird impressions."  The dark god rose and came 
down the three steps to his level.  "You look terrible.  Let's 
take this to a quieter setting. It's almost time for evening 
service and the priests will be coming in shortly.  Olympus 
all right with you?  I left a . . . project half finished."

	"Sure.  Whatever."  Iolaus would have agreed to 
Tartarus at this point.

	Ares laughed and took his arm, flashing them both into 
the outer room of a very different temple.  This was white 
and green marble with oak furnishings and soft drapes of 
green and blue.  Iolaus felt his mouth drop open and when 
he looked at the dark god, he surprised him into a grimace.

	"Joxer thought all black was depressing.  And Mother 
picked out the curtains."  He said with a sigh and a half 
smile that told Iolaus that he hadn't fought too hard against 
any of the changes.

	"oooooooooooooooooo, Joxer.  Don't stop there.  Keep 
rubbing that spot."

	Iolaus' head jerked around in astonishment.  *That 
sounded like Aphrodite.  Nah!*

	Ares grinned and laid a finger to his lips before 
motioning him to the doorway of the inner room.  They 
peeked around the corner and Iolaus felt his mouth drop 
open.  The goddess of love lay on her side clutching a pillow 
to prop up her very pregnant front.

	*Pregnant?  The goddess of love is pregnant?*

	Joxer was intent on giving her a backrub and she was 
purring with contentment.  "Oh my, that's just the right spot, 
lover.  How in Hades am I going to get through the next two 
months when I'm already as big as a cow?"

	Ares drew him back into the other room and he 
followed in a daze, looking in disbelief at the god of war.  
They sat by the fire and Ares conjured up goblets of wine for 
both of them.

	"The release of the Chaos energy sent the goddesses 
into hormonal overload, Iolaus.  My brother is sterile and 
'Dite asked us to father her next child.  Right now, she's 
carrying twins.  One of mine and one of Joxer's."

	Iolaus felt his mind try to stretch around the concept.  
The goddess of love was going to have a child by two 
different fathers at the same time?  Joxer was going to be a 
father.  He felt a smile stretch across his face.

	"Boy, are they going to be a handful."  Was all he said.

	Ares chuckled quietly.  "You're probably right.  But it's 
worth it. Boy or girl, they'll be raised with love from all of us."

	Iolaus looked at him and saw contentment on the dark 
face, a joy that he'd never thought to see on the saturnine 
features.  Sighing wistfully, he took a long drink of the wine 
in his goblet.

	"What's troubling you, Iolaus?  Something pretty bad 
for you to slip out to one of my temples without my little 
brother?"  His voice showed his curiousity and the dark 
eyebrow quirked up while he waited patiently for him to 
speak.

	Iolaus closed his eyes and sighed again.  "The gods 
send mortal men dreams.  Portents of the future is what I 
was always told.  Morpheus lets us know what's coming.  
Even if they're not very clear sometimes. In symbols that 
have to be interpreted."

	"Normally, that's true although all dreams are *not* 
from him.  He says that some dreams are from inside the 
mortal soul itself.  Especially ones that mirror some fear or 
desire that the individual has."  Ares frowned slightly and 
leaned forward.  "Are you having dreams that you think are 
portents?"

	"Gods, I hope not."  Iolaus couldn't help a shudder of 
foreboding. "They're dark and full of death and blood and 
war."  He looked at the god across from him with a shrug.  "I 
wondered if maybe you . . ."

	But Ares was shaking his head in denial.  "Not me, 
Iolaus.  I've been too busy to even pay attention to the 
border disputes in the East. Strife is handling them for me.  
Aphrodite and Joxer need all my energy right now."  For a 
moment, Iolaus saw a quiet grief in the dark eyes. "Joxer is 
just getting over a sickness that sometimes strikes young 
gods.  I don't like to be away from them for very long."

	"And we don't like you to be gone, either."  A pair of 
long arms hugged him from behind and Joxer's smiling face 
winked at Iolaus over his lover's shoulder.  "Hi, Iolaus.  Nice 
to see you.  You look tired."

	This time, Iolaus felt his answering grin to be 
completely unforced. "Good to see you, Joxer.  You feeling 
better?"

	The young god settled beside Ares and took his goblet 
from him for a sip.  "Hm-m-m, the good stuff.  Yeah, Iolaus, 
I'm fine now.  What's wrong?"

	Iolaus sighed again.  "Bad dreams. . . really bad 
dreams.  I die and come back possessed by an evil god 
from the far north.  Dahok."

	He watched Ares go rigid and a bleak look chilled his 
eyes into black pools of fire.  Joxer set the goblet down and 
touched the still face. Iolaus had that odd feeling again that 
they were talking without words. But whatever it was, worked 
because his face softened and he turned his head just far 
enough to kiss the long fingers on his cheek.

	"We'll need to go and see Morpheus.  Since they're 
your dreams, he'll have to tell you where they are coming 
from."  His voice was grim and Joxer exchanged a 
questioning look with Iolaus.  "It's part of the rules.  If 
another god has asked him to send you these particular
visions and you can get to the god of dreams, he has to tell 
you who. Then, we can go ask he or she, why."

	Iolaus shivered at the almost feral tone in the soft 
growling voice. But at least it was promising answers and 
that was why he'd come.  "Lead the way, Ares."

	"Let me get Harmonia to come and watch her mother."  
Joxer suggested. "I don't want her waking up alone."

	"Good idea."  Ares got a far away look in his eyes and 
the blond teenager who Iolaus remembered from the 
southern island popped in.

	"Hi, guys.  Wow!  Iolaus!"  She grinned all over and 
gave him a hug. "Just as gorgeous as ever."

	"No you don't, princess."  Ares shook his head.  "No 
playing with mortals until your first century.  Remember the 
rules.  We need you to be here for your mom.  Joxer just put 
her to sleep with a backrub."

	She pouted at his admonition then grinned at Iolaus, 
winking the eye away from her two fathers at him.  "Sure, 
dads.  Where you going?"

	"To pay a little visit to Morpheus."  The grimness of her 
father's voice sent a little frown over her pert face.  Iolaus 
watched, fascinated by the looks that crossed her face in 
rapid succession.  She was indeed her mother's daughter.

	"Okay.  I'll see you later then.  I've got an new scroll to 
read anyway.  The pharins will be bringing dinner in a couple 
of hours.  Will you be back by then?"  Her tones were 
ingenius and Iolaus surpressed a smile at her fishing.

	"Perhaps."  Ares kissed her cheek and gave her a 
gentle push in the direction of the inner room.  "If we're not, 
you two can eat without us."

	Joxer had taken Iolaus' hand and Ares joined them 
both within a golden flash that brought them into a cave of 
velvet darkness.  Iolaus blinked and wished for a light, 
feeling Joxer's hold on him tighten.  Suddenly he 
remembered that the young god had once been afraid of the 
dark and he returned the squeeze to let him know he was 
not alone.

	"Morpheus.  I've brought you a mortal who's come to 
ask you about some dreams you're sending him."  Ares' 
voice didn't echo in the stygian blackness so Iolaus 
wondered if the room was smaller than he'd thought.

	Silence.  But gradually, the blackness began to lighten 
and what looked like stars began to appear all around them.  
But none of them were familiar constellations, more like tiny 
lights that sometimes moved around each other like fireflies 
only smaller.

	"Ares."  The voice was a light tenor that sighed with 
what sounded like resignation.  "You know they are 
supposed to get to me on their own."

	"He took a short cut.  Now, I'd like to know who is 
sending these visions to him as well."

	"I may only tell him."

	Iolaus was tired of being talked about as if he wasn't 
there.  "Then please tell me why I'm dreaming of death and 
Dahok."

	The air quivered about them and the little lights all 
vanished instantly.  Iolaus felt a cool hand touch his 
forehead and suddenly the last dream was playing across 
his mind in full color.  The rocks and altar.  Nebula and 
Hercules and the spear speeding through the air.  The pain 
of being staked through the heart and dying in Hercules' 
arms.  He shuddered at the memory and prayed that it never 
became a reality.

	"Not one of mine, Iolaus.  This vision did not come from 
me or any god on Olympus."  The voice was puzzled.  "Ares.  
Does Dahok have the power to reach this far?"

	"I hope not."  Ares' voice was cold as ice and Iolaus 
shivered.  "If he is, then we're all in deep trouble.  Can you 
tell anything about this one?"

	"It is very complete.  In every detail.  Sight, sound, 
touch.  Well done, actually."  Morpheus sighed.  "More 
complete than I usually have to do.  One of the senses is 
normally sufficient.  But where ever these are coming from . 
. . well, they are like actually living the actions. Rather 
painful, I expect.  Tell me, Iolaus, how often do you dream
these visions?"

	"Every night for the last moon.  It's getting so I try not to 
sleep."

	"Oh dear.  That's not good for mortals.  Tonight, you 
will not dream. That much at least, I can grant you."  
Morpheus touched him again and Iolaus felt heat flow 
through him like mulled wine.  From head to toe, he tingled 
with a pleasant warmth.

	"Thanks, Morpheus."

	"You're very welcome, Iolaus."  The hand disappeared.  
"Ares, what will you do next?"

	"Tell Zeus and check with the archives."

	Then they were in a quiet room in what looked to be a 
small cottage but without the god of war and Joxer was 
leading him to the fire.  "Sit over here, Iolaus.  I didn't think 
you'd want to go to Zeus' study.  Hera sometimes sits with 
him and I know she has kind of a bad reaction to you."

	Iolaus snorted and allowed Joxer to pour him some 
more wine.  "That's the least of it.  Where is this place?"

	"It's a little hideaway for the two of us.  Only Hestia and 
Harmonia know about it.  Are you hungry?  The pharins  
usually leave us something to eat once they know we're 
here."  Joxer brought over a bowl of grapes and Iolaus 
began to eat them one by one while he gazed about the 
cozy room.

	The large bed took up most of one wall and the 
cupboard beside it had one door ajar so he could see the 
sleeves of several shirts.  The soft greens that covered the 
bed made his eyes droop with relaxation.  He felt Joxer's 
warm hand on his shoulder.

	"Morpheus promised that you won't dream.  Why don't 
you take a nap?  I promise to watch over you and wake you 
up if it looks like you're dreaming.  But I trust him when he 
says you won't."  His voice was soft and gentle and Iolaus 
looked longingly at the bed.

	"I shouldn't . . . but I am a little tired."  He raised his 
heavy eyes to the young god.

	"I know."  Joxer pulled him gently to his stumbling feet 
and kept an arm around his shoulders while guiding him to 
the bed.  He removed the cover and knelt to remove the 
hunter's boots.

	"I can do that."  Iolaus felt odd, floating in this safe 
place with the cool sheets calling his name like a siren's call.  
He didn't feel connected to anything and he watched while 
Joxer tucked him in beneath clean smelling sheets and the 
feather light cover settled over him.

	"Sleep, Iolaus.  I'll keep watch."

	Iolaus closed his eyes and fell.

**************************

	Fresh baked bread.

	Iolaus' nose twitched while he slowly came awake.  The 
feel of the silk sheets was unexpected and the sound of the 
two voices speaking quietly near by was too.

	"Father says we'll need to be on the alert for a break 
through of the barrier that keeps our realms separate.  He's 
going to ask for any odd dreams that have come to us lately.  
Hm-m-m-m, that tastes good."

	"Are the Muses searching the Archives for other 
incidents like this one?  Try some of this."

	Iolaus slitted his eyes open a crack and turned slowly 
towards the voices.  Ares was sitting on the fluffy rug in front 
of the fire with Joxer between his legs.  The young god had 
a plate of food in his lap and he was currently feeding his 
lover a piece of flat bread smothered in some kind of white 
sauce.

	"Good.  A little fishy but good.  I like the touch of dill in 
it. Another Cycrops' special?"  Ares finished chewing and 
leaned over for a soft kiss.

	Iolaus felt a tingle go up his spine and blushed to think 
that watching the two of them together was making him 
hard.  It seemed like forever since he'd held Hercules in his 
arms.  But when he remembered the dreams, he wondered 
if he ever would again.

	"Yep.  He's pretty much revolutionized the kitchens on 
Olympus.  His recipes come from all over the sea.  Are there 
barriers between us and the Egyptian gods as well as the 
northern ones?"  Joxer asked the question that Iolaus had 
been pondering.

	"So far, yes.  We seem to have divided up the world 
into domains that each have a hierarchy of gods.  It's been 
suggested that eventually we'll all become one family over 
the millenia.  But I leave the theorizing to the philosophers.  
If we come to it naturally, fine.  But I won't allow someone 
like Dahok to take any of us by force."

	Ares' frown was ferocious but for some reason it only 
made Iolaus feel safer.  He watched Joxer touch his cheek 
tenderly and whisper something only the dark god could 
hear.  But what ever it was made him smile and draw his 
lover closer into a sizzling kiss that Iolaus could feel from
across the room.

	*Zeus!*  Iolaus closed his eyes tight and held on to the 
thought that soon he'd be with Hercules and this nightmare 
would be resolved.

	"Um, guys?  I'm awake."  He kept his eyes shut.

	"Oh, Iolaus."  Joxer must have pulled away.  "Good.  
Dinner's ready if you are."

	He risked a peek at the fire and found Ares smirking at 
him while Joxer fixed another plate at the table.  Slowly, he 
sat up and stretched a little to get the kinks out.  He must 
not have moved once he fell asleep.  "How long did I sleep?"

	"A day."  Joxer brought him a heaping plate of food that 
tantalized his nostrils with the aroma of fish.

	"What!  A full day?"  Iolaus stared at Ares and watched 
him nod.  "I was supposed to be on my way to Corinth to 
meet Herc."

	"You still can, Iolaus.  In fact, we're going with you so it 
will only take us a moment."  Ares grinned at him and pulled 
Joxer back down to his lap.  "It's time we find out some 
answers.  Did you ever think that maybe Hercules is having 
the same dreams?  Athena is searching for Nebula to see if 
she is part of this.  There has to be a reason that you are the 
one dreaming."

	Iolaus gulped.  *How will Herc react to me showing up 
with two gods? He'll be pissed that's what he'll be.  I should 
have told him when I started dreaming.*

	"Cheer up, Iolaus.  He won't be that mad when we 
show.  Especially if he's having them too."  Joxer patted his 
hand and went back to feeding Ares some of the feta 
smothered bread.  "Besides, his brother will be there and 
Jason.  They can help us figure this out."

	The blond hunter shook his head resignedly.  *I've lost 
control of this little problem and I'll just have to deal with the 
fallout.  Besides, it will be good to see Herc again.  Even if 
he's mad.*

	They finished their meal and Joxer showed Iolaus 
where he could go to clean up.  He listened to them 
squabble in the front room while he washed up and ran a 
wet hand through his hair, looking longingly at the spa and 
wishing he had his lover here to share it with him.  The bath
at Corinth was in the lower levels and shared by the entire 
castle staff.

	Taking a deep breath, he went out to face the music.  
Joxer had changed clothes and Ares was slowly lacing his 
vest while they kissed tenderly. *Herc.  Need Herc.  Now.*

	Ares broke the kiss and turned his head slightly to 
smile.  "We're on our way, Iolaus.  We'll get to the bottom of 
this soon.  Come here."

	Reaching out a long arm, he gathered the hunter into a 
three way embrace and when Iolaus opened his eyes again, 
they were in the throne room at Corinth and Hercules was 
gaping at them from his other brother's side.

	"Iolaus?"

	"Ares, what are you doing here?"  Iphicles sprang to his 
feet and glared at them.

	*Great.  Not quite how I pictured this meeting.*  Iolaus 
sighed and prepared to talk fast.  Luckily, that was 
something he was very good at.

*************************
end for now