"All I'm saying," Iolaus insisted as he walked down the muddy track that was what passed for a road, while he tried to ignore the drizzle and the trickle of water down his back, "is that maybe your timing could have been better."
"Better?" mumbled his taller companion. "How, oh wise and wily Golden Hunter, could my timing have been better?"
Iolaus ignored the sarcasm. He off all people was used to it. Then again, other than his friend's two brothers, Iolaus knew this man best. Maybe even better than the other two. "Just imagine how she must feel now? First you just come out and tell her something she was totally clueless about, then you guys get attacked by one of Ares' armies, while she's worried sick about her best friend. And you still haven't told her everything."
Joxer jerked the small blonde to a stop, almost sending them both to the ground as he slipped a little in the mud. "You have no right to say that."
"Don't I?" Iolaus stared up into the darkening brown eyes. "You're hiding a part of yourself from the woman you love because you're scared! You're keeping a major part of your life from her and Xena! You never explain where you've been when you meet up with them, you never tell them what you've done. Not really anyway. Joxer, you're a..."
"Fool. Yeah, I've got that by now," Joxer growled, grabbing Iolaus' vest and yanking him closer. "You don't have to keep telling me the same thing everyone else does."
Iolaus shook his head. "You never let them see this part of you. The Joxer they know would never *growl*. He doesn't know how. I'm not sayin' that's a bad thing, but...."
"I'm... I'm sorry, I shouldn't have..." Joxer stammered as he let go and took a step back. The realization that he had dropped his carefully crafted mask crashed down around him. He had been so careful about it, even around the hyperactive blonde hunter.
"I was going to say *you're a god*," Iolaus said, crossing his arms over his chest. "I know the fool thing is just an act. I don't know why you haven't told Xena and Gabrielle. Especially with Eve in the picture now. She's going to distroy you, too."
Joxer shook his head. "Eve isn't a threat to me. I'm not an Olympian, remember? I'm just one of the forgotten gods, nobody important enough to distroy."
"So what? I don't get why you, Jett and Jace just hang around pretending to be mortals." Iolaus frowned. "And for the record, I haven't forgotten."
Joxer chuckled. "Of course not. Iolaus, try to see this from my point of view, all right?"
"I'll give it a shot, but I'm not promising anything."
"I'm older than the Titans, I'm older than the world itself. How am I supposed to tell that to Gabrielle? You know how she and Xena feel about the Gods." Joxer spread his hands helplessly. "How am I supposed to explain being a God of Chaos?"
"Much less still being a good guy?" Iolaus chuckled. "You're just in charge of change. That's what they do. Change things."
Joxer just shook his head. "You don't get it. Gabrielle would hate me for keeping this from her. She'd hate me for not doing anything to stop Hope and Dahoth. She'd hate me for not saving Perdicus."
"Oh," Iolaus blinked. "But you didn't know then. Even you'd forgotten who and what you were."
"She won't see that as an excuse." Joxer turned away and stared out over the hills. After a long moment he turned back to his long time friend. "You haven't told Hercules, so why should I tell Gabrielle?"
Iolaus snorted, "Oh, sure. I can just picture it now! 'Hey, Herc! How ya doing? Oh, by the way, I'm the ancient God of Light. Yep, predate Apollo and Helios by a good billion years or so. Guess what else? I'm your Great-great-grandfather?' Some how I don't think that idea is going to sprout wings and fly."
"Because of Deinarah, and Serena," Joxer said flatly. The next snappy retort died on the tip of the blonde's tongue. The dark haired god smirked. "Just like I can't tell Gabrielle and Xena."
"Yeah. I guess you're right," the younger god said and puffed a breath at a stray lock of golden curls. "Being us sucks sometimes doesn't it?"
"Clouds are gatherin' o'er my head, that chill the day and hide the sun, that shroud the night when day is done," Joxer shouted as he flung his arms out to the vastness of the sky, lowered somewhat by the dark clouds that were as much a part of the chaotic god's mood as the natural world. "For we are kings in a fallen realm, where mortals and demons fear, where darkest dreams are near!"
"You're getting morbid in you're old age, Soy'," the other said ironicly.
"Shut up, Quch."
The two primortial gods continued on into the storm in silence and an understanding that can only come between creatures that have seen everything then forgotten it more than once.
Fini.