The world was just awakening from its winter nap when Chieron's academy was released for its annual spring semester break. The dormitory was crazed with activity as the students hurried to pack and quickly be on the road to their homes. Four friends met outside the gate one last time before departing.

Jason was the first to leave, needing to be back in Corinth at the castle as soon as possible. The next to say good-bye and take their leave was Lilith, who was going to see her sister, albeit somewhat reluctantly.

That left Hercules and Iolaus. During the past week it had been decided that Iolaus would journey with Hercules to his home and stay with Alcmene. Chieron had been quite pleased with the prospect, but Iolaus figured he just wanted the demigod to keep an eye on him. Tossing his pack over his shoulder, he and Hercules began the walk to Hercules' mother's house.

During their travels the laughed and jostled. Picking on each other and Iolaus telling bad jokes or singing even worse songs. Hercules had to laugh at his friend's enthusiasm, and admit that he too was glad to be away from the academy for a little while.

Just before they reached Alcmene's house, Iolaus turned to his tall friend. "Uh, Herc, your mom's not going to mind you bringing me home is she?"

Hercules looked at his friend, "Why would you ask that?"

"I dunno," Iolaus shrugged. "Aren't kids supposed to ask first or something?"

Hercules laughed, "Who's a kid?"

"You are, my friend," Iolaus smirked. "Remember I'm older."

"Yeah, well, Mother won't care. She'll be happy to see you again."

"That's a good thing because it's a little too late now, don't you think?" Iolaus asked with a giggle.

When they walked through the gate Alcmene looked up from where she was tending in her garden. "Hercules! I was expecting you!" She smiled brightly and gave her son a warm embrace. Turning her attention to Iolaus, her smile didn't waver and she gave him a hug as well. "Hello, Iolaus. I'm glad that you decided to come home with Hercules for the break."

The shorter man nodded, almost embarrassed. "Thanks, Alcmene."

"I bet you two are famished after your walk."

"You know Iolaus," Hercules laughed, "all stomach."

Iolaus pretended to be offended. "I'll have you know that I'm at least part charm, thank you very much." He emphasized his point by tapping a finger to Hercules' chest. "In case you haven't noticed, buddy, women can't resist me."

"Oh, brother," Hercules sighed with a grin. "He's delusional."

Iolaus, having turned away from the demigod while walking toward the house, said over his shoulder, "Come on, Herc. Don't want the food to get cold."

Over the next couple of days Hercules and Iolaus split their time between goofing off, fishing and hunting, and working several chores around the house. On the third day, Hercules was working in the barn, Iolaus however had decided he wanted to help Alcmene inside.

"Iolaus," she insisted, "you really would probably have a better time helping Hercules in the barn than trying to help in here."

The blond smiled, "Nah, I want to help you." He poked a finger absently at some dough, "Besides, I've never cooked a thing. If you can believe that."

Alcmene had to suppress her laughter at his honest statement. She would have expected as much from the whirlwind of a boy. "Yes, well. Only if you're sure."

Iolaus nodded eagerly. "Hey, I figure knowing how to cook something will come in handy later on."

"All right," Alcmene said, eyeing him doubtfully. She didn't foresee him staying in the kitchen any longer than ten minutes before he was practically begging to go outside. "We'll start with something simple." She glanced around the kitchen. "How about rabbit stew?"

"Sounds great," Iolaus grinned, licking his lips. "But that doesn't exactly sound easy."

Alcmene laughed, handing him several carrots and a knife. "First, peel these."

Alcmene was surprised when Iolaus set to work, not only did he not complain, but her surprisingly eager student continued to ask questions. "So, what do we get to cook next?"

Seeing that he had finished preparing the carrots, she motioned toward a pot, "Put those in there, please." He jumped up and quickly dropped the vegetables into the broth filled pot. Glancing at Iolaus, who was awaiting his next instruction. "Finish starting the stew by chopping these potatoes and then we'll move onto something else. Okay?"

Things quickly went downhill from there. First Iolaus sliced open his hand cutting the potatoes, insisting it was fine, he finished the chore. In the instant that Alcmene had been allowed to see it, she had noticed with dismay that it was a vicious cut that would probably need attention. After listening to his various arguments to the contrary, Alcmene relented.

Next, she tried to show him how to make bread. She was forced to admit that her student would probably never be the greatest of cooks. "You need more flour, Iolaus," she commented, checking on his progress.

"Flour, right," he mumbled, picking up the sack only to have it slip from his grasp. When the dust finally cleared, Alcmene's shock turned to near laughter when she saw the white coated teenager standing there, his mouth gaping. "Uh, I don't think that was supposed to happen," he dead panned.

Alcmene raised a hand in front of her mouth, desperately trying to hide her giggles for Iolaus' sake. "Not exactly what I had in mind, no. But," she added, glancing at where he was working, "you have enough flour now. Why don't you go outside and let me finish up?"

Iolaus shook his head defiantly. "Sorry, Alcmene." He glanced around the kitchen guiltily, "I should at least clean this mess up."

Alcmene stopped to think of a way to keep him occupied that might cause the smallest amount of trouble. "Could you get that clay pot down from the top shelf for me?" she asked.

"Sure thing, Alcmene." He climbed up onto the counter and had just picked up the small pot when it slipped from his grip. "Oh no you don't," he muttered under his breath, making a grab for the pot. His action however caused him to lose his balance. When he reached out to grab the counter to stop his fall, he felt a sharp pain in his wrist.

His impact with the floor followed just after the sound of the pot shattering, and stirred the scattered flour back into the air. "Iolaus?" Alcmene asked, kneeling down next to him. Brushing his hair away from his face she asked, "Are you okay?"

Sitting up, he tried to hide a wince from his protesting wrist. "Yeah, I'm fine." He looked over at what remained of the pot. "Sorry about that."

Alcmene took a step back as Iolaus moved to stand up. She noticed that he was favoring his right wrist, even though he was doing his best to hide it. "Let me have a look at that," she said, reaching for his arm.

Pulling his arm away from her grasp, he insisted, "I'm fine, Alcmene. Let's just get this disaster area cleaned up, okay?"

She hadn't been a mother for so many years not to have learned to pick up on patterns of behavior from stubborn boys and young men. It worried her that for the second time in just an hour Iolaus was hiding an obviously painful, if truthfully small, injury. "I need to be sure at least that you didn't break it, Iolaus."

The stubborn cadet shook his head. "Nah, I know what that feels like. I'll be okay." Grabbing a towel, he started to mop up some of the spilled flour.

Alcmene watched as Iolaus struggled to clean the flour left handed, and finally gave up and resorted to using his injured arm. Reading his determined expression, she was suddenly convinced it was something that he had a lot of practice doing. She was struck by the abrupt fear that this tendency would get her son's friend into much trouble when he was older, if not sooner.

Reaching to take the rag from him, she said, "Iolaus, you're only making your arm worse. Why don't you let me finish?"

"Alcmene . . ."

She held up a hand, "No buts, go talk to Hercules. But do not use that arm. Understand?"

Iolaus handed her the towel, nodding his head. "Okay, I'll go outside."

Alcmene nodded, "Good." She smiled as she wiped some flour from off of his cheek. "Now, out with you," and she shooed him through the door.

Although he went outside, Iolaus was determined that he help around the homestead. Instead of seeking out Hercules in the barn, he went to the well and began finishing the repairs to the stone enclosure that kept debris out. Glancing over his shoulder, and when he was sure that Alcmene couldn't see him, he started to work, steadfastly ignoring the throbbing in his arm.

Iolaus would have been correct in his assumption that Alcmene couldn't see him, except that she had walked outside to dust out several of the cloths she had used in cleaning the flour. Seeing Iolaus working on the well, she felt a surge of exasperation at his determination to continue using his injured wrist in such a tedious chore.

"Iolaus," she called out, walking toward him. When he looked up and grinned she felt somewhat annoyed at his indifference to his own physical state. Gesturing, she asked, "What about your arm?"

"It's nothing," he said, turning to pick up another large rock for the well. He groaned inwardly when he winced, knowing full well that Alcmene saw him. When he turned to look at her, hoping the pain didn't show in his eyes, he took a step back when she pressed nearer.

"Iolaus," she said, a mild threat in her voice. "It's for your own good that you stop."

"In a little while I . . . " He didn't have time to finish, and his mouth dropped open in shock. He didn't see Alcmene pick up the broom that she now held, but he knew it must mean trouble. Taking off in a run across the yard, he headed for the barn. Glancing over his shoulder, he couldn't believe the sight of Alcmene running after him, still holding onto the broom.

Rushing into the barn, he closed the door behind him. Resting his elbows on his knees, he took a deep breath and looked up to see Hercules staring at him curiously. "What's that all about?" he asked, walking toward his friend.

"Your mom's chasing me . . ."

"And what's wrong with your arm?" Hercules asked over Iolaus comment.

". . . with a broom," Iolaus finished.

Hercules blinked. "My mother is chasing you? Oh come on, you don't expect me to believe that do ya?"

"Don't forget the broom," he added, still shocked. "And before you ask: I'm not crazy, I wasn't sneaking any of the wine, and I haven't had a blow to my head."

Hercules laughed, "Okay . . . So, why's she chasing you then?"

Iolaus pointed at his arm. "This is why."

"Huh?" the demigod asked, very confused.

They were interrupted by a loud knocking on the barn door. "Iolaus, get out here. Now."

The blond shook his head, "You never said your mom was so fast, Herc. She could probably out run you."

"Seeing as how I've never made her chase me, I wouldn't know," he laughed at his friend's situation. "I never had to hide from her either."

"Well, if she ever does get mad at you, don't let her near a broom," Iolaus commented. "She knows how to use it." When Hercules merely laughed, Iolaus rolled his eyes. "Gee, thanks for the help here, bud."

Hercules wiped his eyes. "Sorry, I just pictured my mom chasing you around the yard like a chicken or something. You must have really set her off. What'd you do, anyway? Wreck the kitchen?"

"That was part of it," he mumbled under his breath. "But I told you, she's mad about my arm."

"Why would she be mad about that?" Hercules asked.

Iolaus shrugged, wincing when he pulled his arm sharply. "Don't ask me. But I'm not coming out of here till she puts the broom down."

"Iolaus? Come out of the barn, you need to have that arm looked at."

Hercules looked at his defiant friend and laughed again. "Hold on, I'll go disarm her." With that, he ducked out of the barn door to go speak with his mom. A moment later the door reopened. "Come on out, she's promised not to sweep ya or anything," he said with a grin.

"You're having way too much fun with this, Herc," he said, just before walking outside.

Grinning, Hercules countered, "Wouldn't you be?"

"Yeah, well, that's different."

"Uh huh," Hercules replied. "Time to face the duster."

"Herc . . ." Iolaus groaned.

Hercules only laughed. "Well, now you know how bad all of your jokes are."

Seeing Alcmene, Iolaus held up his hands in mock defense. "I surrender."

"Hercules," Alcmene said, turning to face her son. "Finish working in the barn. Iolaus and I need to have a talk while I look at his arm."

Hercules nodded and turned to leave when Iolaus leaned over and muttered, "Don't leave me alone with her Herc, she's got it out for me."

"Don't worry," he grinned. "I seriously doubt she'll start chasing you with a rake or anything."

"Big help, buddy," Iolaus replied sarcastically, walking faster to catch up with Alcmene. "Big help."

Once inside the house, Alcmene pointed at a chair in the sitting room. "Sit." Iolaus opened his mouth to argue when she silenced him with a look. After he sat down, she smiled. "Good. I'll be back in a minute."

When she returned, she began checking his arm. "It's just sprained, Alcmene. You don't have to worry so much about it."

Looking up from her task, she gazed into the young man's deep blue eyes. "Yes I do, Iolaus." She paused, pulling a length of bandage out from her bundle and began to wrap his wrist. "I certainly didn't mean to chase you," she said finally, "but it bothered me the way you ignored your own injury. No matter how insignificant it might appear."

Iolaus giggled, "So you decided to chase me?"

Alcmene smiled, "Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time." She laughed, adding, "It got your attention, didn't it?"

"Oh, you can say that again," Iolaus laughed. The laughter was broken when he gasped sharply because of a pain from his wrist.

Alcmene sighed, "That's what I thought. You're going to have to give this arm a break if you want to make sure it heals properly." She blinked slowly before asking, "You do that a lot don't you?"

Confused, Iolaus looked at her, asking, "I do what a lot?"

"Hide when you're in pain. Press on as if nothing is wrong." When he didn't reply, she nodded. "I thought as much. That's why today bothered me so much, Iolaus. One day, acting like that won't get you hurt. It will get you killed."

Iolaus shrugged. "It's just who I am."

"Well then," Alcmene said, standing. "We'll just have to work on that, now won't we? You can start with me." She picked up her supplies and added, "I don't want you to hide something like that from me, okay? I care about you too much."

Iolaus' eyes widened in shock. "You care . . ."

"Of course I do," Alcmene replied, smiling sadly.

The blond shook himself out of his shock, quickly replacing his surprise with a carefree gaze. Changing the subject quickly, he asked, "So, what's for dinner?"

Alcmene grinned, "That depends on how well flour in rabbit stew tastes," she joked, reminding him of his mishap earlier.

Iolaus groaned, "Oh no. We're gonna starve. I really should stay out of the kitchen."

Recognizing Iolaus diversion for what it was, she laughed as she left the room, giving him the space he needed. She was just beginning to unravel the mystery that was her son's best friend. But it was a challenge that she found herself enjoying, quite pleased that he had found his way into Hercules' life.

The End

okay, this little sidetrack into strangeness can be traced back to a comment Hermione made in an email a day or two ago. She was rather, um, upset at Iolaus' tendency to get hurt and hide it, and her subsequent comment linking it with Alcmene really got me thinking. What you just read was the result *bg*