A/N: I don't own Hercules or it's characters just my character.
CHAPTER EIGHT
"Autolycus wait up!" Hercules caught up with him. "Come with Iolaus and me. You shouldn't be alone." Iolaus soon joined them.
Shaking his head, Autolycus waved them off. "No, I just want to be alone"
"As your friends, we insist." Hercules pushed.
He looked to Iolaus who reluctantly admitted, "Yes unfortunately, we're friends."
"I'm not in the mood to be around people."
"Well as your friend we suggest that you come with us. Spend a few days with us and if you're still not feeling better, you can leave." Hercules suggested.
Autolycus thought about it. "Just a few days and I have the option to leave early if I want."
"Deal." Hercules held out his hand.
Autolycus shook it and they headed for town. They reached it by night fall and their friends place just before dinner. He didn't say much while they were eating and even went to bed early.
"Lily, dinner was great." Hercules complimented, handing her his dirty dish.
Taking the plate, Lily asked, "Thank you. I hope you don't mind me asking, but is your friend ok? He seemed really sad and quiet."
"He just had his heart broken. Iolaus and I found him coming to visit you two. We didn't feel right leaving him alone."
She looked towards the bedroom he was in. "That poor man."
"Don't say anything though." Hercules warned.
Looking back at them, Lily nodded. "We won't. Right, Carl?"
"We won't. She must have been someone because that guy looks utterly broken. Who was she?" Carl asked.
Iolaus handed his dirty plate to Lily. "Someone you never want to meet. She was trouble from the first day we met her."
Carl stood. "Well she must have not been that much trouble if she broke your friend's heart. Well it's getting late."
The group said their good nights before hitting the sack.
Lily was finishing up breakfast when Hercules and Iolaus showed themselves. "Morning. Your friend just left."
"Left? Did happen to say where he was going?" Hercules questioned.
"He said something about fresh air. So I made him some food to go and let him leave. Was I wrong to do so?" Lily answered.
Shaking his head, Hercules replied, "You weren't wrong. We'll give him some time alone before going to check on him."
Autolycus roamed around town munching on the breakfast Lily had given him. The same things didn't interest him anymore. He didn't want to steal anything from anyone, even though he could make a killing here. He wasn't sure what to do now. Lydia hurt him real good and it was a first for a woman to hurt him like this. He didn't know what to do to make himself feel better.
After breakfast, Iolaus and Hercules went in search of Autolycus. "So what do you plan to do in helping Autolycus?" Iolaus asked.
"I'm not sure. But we should be there for him. He is our friend."
"But how? Neither of us has been in his place."
Hercules grinned. "I have an idea."
Autolycus sat at the bar nursing the drink he had gotten. As he took a sip of his drink, a woman sat next to him.
"Looking for a good time sweetie?" The women rubbed her hand on his shoulder.
Removing her hand from his shoulder, Autolycus replied, "Not today."
The women pouted and walked away from him only to soon be replaced by Iolaus and Hercules.
"We know how to make you feel better." Iolaus told him.
Autolycus waved them off. "I know you're trying to help, but I just don't want it. I want to be left alone."
"Just come on." Hercules took Autolycus by the arm.
Leaving the tavern, Autolycus asked, "Where are we going?"
"It's a surprise." Hercules answered, guiding him to their destination.
Autolycus sighed. "Whatever you have planned forget it. It's not going to work."
"Even if the surprise is me?" Lydia asked, appearing in front of him.
Hercules and Iolaus took that as their cue to leave. "What are you doing here?"
"I figured you deserved to know."
"Know what?"
Lydia took a deep breath, letting it out her nose. "I love you. And I was wrong to send you away like I did."
Staying where he was, Autolycus asked, "That is it?"
"What more do you want? I said I was wrong and I confessed that I love you."
Autolycus crossed his arms. "You didn't say you were sorry."
"I did when I said I was wrong. Which FYI, I hate to do."
Autolycus shook his head. "You are ridiculous."
"And I'm in love with you. Believe me when I tell you I wish that I could take back everything I said, but most of all, I would I could take back sending you away."
Taking a few steps forward, Autolycus inquired, "So say I accept your so-called apology, where do we go from here?"
"I don't know. But what I do know is that I love you and it scares me. And that I have never felt lonelier in my entire life then when I'm not with you."
Autolycus quickly closed the gap between them; he wrapped her up in his arms as he kissed her. "I forgive you."
"Good because I was thinking of staying here." Lydia confessed.
His eyebrow arched up as he kept his arms wrapped around her. "Really?"
"I never really was a city girl. And I am so tired of constantly worrying to how I'm going to pay my bills."
"Well I don't know if you'd fit in here. I mean it's completely different than where you come from." He commented, playing with his mustache.
Lydia gave him a shove. "Be serious. I know this is big and I don't think you couldn't survive where I come from. We have to choose where to be: here or there."
"Since you're being honest and all…where you come from scares me. All that noise, the people, those things you call cars."
Lydia kissed him as she laughed. "Than we stay here."
"Here it is." He replied, kissing her back.
Pulling away, Lydia said, "Good because there is something else I need to tell you."
YEARS LATER
Hercules and Iolaus made their way through town. "What do you want to do?" Iolaus asked.
"Relax for once" Replied Hercules with a smile.
Iolaus was about to say something when Hercules' hand shot out towards his waist. They both looked down to see a little girl with a head full of chestnut curly cue hair reaching for something.
Her hazel eyes looked up at the two indignantly. "Let me go." She demanded.
"Only when you tell me why you are stealing from me" Hercules answered, continuing to hold onto her.
The little girl kicked Hercules in the shins before taking off. The two friends went after the girl. She clutched hard onto the bag she took from Hercules. They eventually lost her through a crowd.
Breathing hard, Iolaus asked in a pant, "Where'd she get off to?"
"I have no clue." Hercules searched around some more.
"Hercules? Iolaus?" A familiar voice asked.
They turned to see Lydia. "Lydia! Hi" Hercules gave her a hug as did Iolaus.
"What brings you here?" She asked.
"To relax some since we don't have anything to do, but some girl stole our money" Hercules told her.
Lydia made a noise between a snort and a laugh. "About this high," She held her hand out waist high. "Hazel eyes and head with a massive set of brown curls?"
"That's her" Iolaus confirmed with a nod of his head.
Lydia motioned for them to follow her. "Come on."
"So Lydia how are things with Autolycus?" Asked Hercules.
Making her way through town, Lydia replied, "Things are great. Entertaining and crazy for the most part. Which I was going to ask…we're thinking about getting married soon and we would love for you both to come."
"That is wonderful; we would love to come" Hercules said.
"Should be interesting." Iolaus agreed.
Biting her bottom lip some, Lydia commented, "Things have gotten interesting over the years." She entered into one of the many houses.
"Interesting how?" Hercules asked, entering the house behind her with Iolaus.
The left corner of her mouth went up before she yelled, "Kennedy!" They heard a set of footsteps come running down the stairs. It was the little girl from the market. "Hercules, Iolaus, meet Kennedy. Your culprit and my kid. Well mine and Autolycus kid."
"Your kid?!" Iolaus and Hercules called out in unison.
Lydia laughed at them. "Yes, now Kennedy what do you say?"
"Say what mommy? I've been in my room all day" She looked up at Lydia innocently.
Pointing at her, Lydia pressed her daughter. "You know dang well what I mean. You stole from my two friends."
"Friends?!" Kennedy's head shot towards them.
Lydia bent down next to her daughter. "These are the two that daddy and I told you and Deacon about every night before you two went to bed. Now apologize and return their belongings."
Kennedy quickly went up stairs and came back down. "I'm sorry." She apologized, handing the money bag back.
"Now up to your room missy. You're in so much trouble; wait till your dad gets home" Lydia stated, patting Kennedy's butt.
They waited until Kennedy was up in her room before continuing to talk. "She can't be no more than 5 or 6." Hercules commented as he stared at the stairs.
"Her and Deacon turn 7 next week"
Iolaus looked around the house, inquired, "Deacon?"
"Kennedy's twin brother." Answered Lydia.
Hercules' jaw dropped. "You had twins?!" His and Iolaus eyes were big as they looked at each other.
"That was my surprise too when two kids came out instead of one. You guys want a seat?"
Sitting at the kitchen table, Hercules asked, "Where are Deacon and Autolycus?"
"They are present shopping; they should be home soon"
Autolycus came in with his son on his back. They were laughing over something that had happened.
Setting Deacon down, Autolycus grinned at them. "Hey! What brings you guys here?" Autolycus shook their hands.
"Your daughter stole their money." Lydia informed him as Deacon hopped in her lap.
Autolycus sat next to her. "So now she's my daughter?"
"You are the one who taught both our kids how to steal. Now go talk to her." Lydia pointed to the stairs.
Autolycus went upstairs to go talk with Kennedy. "Do you always make him do that?" Iolaus asked.
"We take turns when it comes to Kennedy. So you met her already. This little guy in my lap is Deacon. Deacon these are the two men I tell you about every night before you go to bed. Hercules and Iolaus." Deacon held out his tiny hand to shake theirs.
Deacon looked up at Lydia. "Is Kennedy in trouble mommy?"
"Yes she is honey."
Still looking up at her, Deacon asked, "Will she still come to our birthday party? Because I got her something."
"Yes Deacon, she will" He then leaned up and whispered something in her ear before looking to Hercules and Iolaus. "Deacon would like to know if you two will come to their birthday party"
"Of course we will." Hercules smiled.
Lydia placed Deacon on the floor. "Why don't you go play sweetie?"
The moment he went outside, Autolycus returned. "Alright, she's grounded till her birthday" He stated, joining them back at the table.
"And it looks like we're going to have to make room. Deacon invited Iolaus and Hercules to their birthday party."
The day of the twin's birthday Hercules and Iolaus took them fishing in the morning. When they returned, all their friends were there.
Autolycus was over by the kids as they were playing one of the many games they had planned. Lydia came over, sitting in between Iolaus and Hercules.
"You two have fun fishing with the kids this morning?" She grinned.
"Those two are a handful." Iolaus grumbled.
Hercules set his drink down, he said, "I see that Kennedy is a lot like Autolycus"
"Kennedy is a lot like him every day."
"I felt like I was talking to a mini female Autolycus." Hercules commented.
Iolaus looked to Lydia and said, "Deacon is like a combination of you two."
"For the most part he has my smile and quick thinking, but he has a lot of Autolycus in him too."
"He has your annoying streak. He can work a nerve like no tomorrow." Iolaus said.
Lydia gave him a death glare. "I hate you. Deacon is a lot like Autolycus in some ways. He is a real player like Autolycus." She pointed to Deacon.
They saw him surrounded by a few girls and they instantly knew what she meant by player.
"We at least know he has Autolycus love of women." Iolaus smiled.
"I'm hoping that the next one turns out not to be twins and more like me." She commented innocently, sipping at her drink.
Hercules and Iolaus eyes grew big. "Next one?" Hercules asked slowly.
"I'm about a month pregnant. Autolycus took it quite well when I told him this morning."
"Congrats." Hercules gave her a hug; after a long pause, Iolaus did the same thing.
Lydia smiled. "Thanks. I just don't know if I'm ready for another. We have our hands full with just these two."
"If anyone can handle this, you two can." Hercules assured her
Resting her head on his shoulder as she watched Autolycus play with their two kids, Lydia smiled, "Thanks."
THE END
I hope everyone enjoyed the story. It was fun to write