NEVER ENDING STORY CHAPTER 5

Title: Rocking the World
Sequel to "Unexpected"
Author: MorganaAuthor’s Email: morganalebeau@yahoo.comWeb page: http://www.paranoid.nl/avalon
Pairing; Hephaestion/Bagoas/Alexander
Rating: NC-17Summary: Hephaestion is determined to see Jared Leto play his music, Bagoas reveals a secret that will rock the academic world, and Alexander is just being Alexander, being very silly.
Disclaimer: These characters are inspired after Oliver's Stone's movie. No copyright infringement is intended.
Warning: AU of course.
Beta read by DA, thanks sweetie!
All remaining mistakes are mine.

Rocking the World
Part 1

Hephaestion's appreciatory gaze followed Bagoas' form as it moved with a familiar sensuality and elegance. The raven hair now reached Bagoas' hips and danced against the small of the younger man's back whenever he swirled around. The ankle bracelets rustled with each movement and Hephaestion quickly lost himself to the lovely sight.

Two months had passed since they had returned from Athens and they had settled back into their routine.

Today, Alexander had taken Boukephalos for a ride, Hephaestion had settled in the shade of a tree with Peritas stretched out at his feet, and Bagoas was practicing what he called 'his dance of the veils' nearby. This was heaven as far Hephaestion was concerned. He couldn't remember having ever been happier.

"Your eyes never leave me," Bagoas whispered in a breathless voice, out of breath due to his dancing. "You must like what you are seeing." Giving Hephaestion a stunning smile, he sat cross-legged beside the older man.

"You are getting back in shape again," Hephaestion remarked as he ran his fingers through Bagoas' raven hair. He believed that all three of them had a bit of a hair fetish. He had realized that the other day when he had been surfing and had come across a picture of one very bald Jared Leto. His wide-eyed look of surprise had attracted Alexander and Bagoas' attention and his lovers had come up behind him to see what had startled him. Looking up from the screen and at Alexander, Hephaestion had seen him cringe. Bagoas had frowned and then shaken his head.

"Apparently he shaved it off for a role in a new move he is playing in," Hephaestion had commented, trying to explain the drastic change in appearance.

Alexander had tried to form words, but had failed miserably. Bagoas had done better and he had instead murmured, "Such a shame… Such a waste…"

"Hephaestion? Hephaestion!" Bagoas shook Hephaestion gently and wondered about the distant look that had crept into the normally lucid eyes.

"I was thinking about Jared Leto's new look," Hephaestion explained.

Bagoas' features contorted. "Just console yourself with the fact that the hair will grow again."

"I do love the way your hair looks and moves through my fingers," Hephaestion admitted in a warm voice. "Promise me that you will never cut it off?"

"Don't worry. I have no desire to go bald on you." This time, Bagoas gave Hephaestion a cheeky grin. "You have a thing for long hair, don't you?" Even Alexander was growing his hair long just to please Hephaestion. Bagoas chuckled; his hair was the longest – it grew at an incredibly fast pace. Hephaestion's hair reached past his shoulder blades, while Alexander's was the shortest compared to theirs, since Alexander's hair still had to reach his shoulder blades.

"Did you know that Jared Leto and Colin Farrell wore amulets with a lock of each other's hair in it during the filming of the film? I think that is a very romantic gesture." Hephaestion's fingers left Bagoas' hair and his hand now cupped Bagoas' cheek. Ever since Bagoas had accepted his past and the part Bagoas the eunuch had played in it, a calming strength had come over the younger man.

Bagoas once more applied his kohl beneath his eyes, accenting them in a striking way. He would brush his hair until it shone with a dark fire and sometimes, just to please Alexander, he would wear it in a pony tail, which made him look even more exotic.

"Are you happy here, Bagoas? You are still so very young… Don't you want to *do* things?" Hephaestion savored Bagoas' presence and caressed his lover's face. He would never tire of Bagoas' exotic looks.

"Like what?" Bagoas leaned into the caress. He then tilted his head, pressed his lips against the palm of Hephaestion's hand, and bestowed a kiss onto the soft skin.

Hephaestion licked his lips and decided that the time was right to try to convince Bagoas to indulge him. "I would like to travel to the States… Would you come with me? I know Alexander will, but I want you at my side as well."

Bagoas frowned. "I don't like flying…" And traveling to the States would take them many hours – hours in which he would be confined to a plane! "Why do you want to go there?"

"Yes, please enlighten me as well." Alexander jumped from Boukephalos' back, letting the stallion graze as he joined his lovers. He smiled at Bagoas and accepted the kiss which his younger lover planted firmly on his lips. He loved this more cheeky side to Bagoas. "Why do you want to go there?"

"I want to try to get into touch with Jared Leto – at the very least I want to see his band perform." Hephaestion held Alexander's gaze and read surprise there clearly. "I told you that before!"

"Yes, you did, but this is the first time that you are actually making plans to carry out that idea!" Alexander rested his back against the trunk of the tree and narrowed his eyes. "What's behind this?"

"Nothing." Hephaestion shrugged his shoulders. He had downloaded most of the band's songs and he liked them – just like Alexander and Bagoas did.

"You are restless," Bagoas decided after a moment's thought. He exchanged a look with Alexander. Hephaestion's restlessness had started after they had watched the Oliver Stone film. "What is this really about?"

Hephaestion cursed Bagoas' acuity. The younger man was beginning to display the shrewd thinking that had made Bagoas the eunuch such a formidable opponent and Hephaestion cringed as he realized that Bagoas knew something else was bothering him. Well, there was no use in denying the truth. He had better come clean. "Bagoas, can I ask you something personal? I hope you will answer, but I won't force you to tell me what I want to know."

Bagoas leaned in closer and crept over to Hephaestion on all fours. He straddled Hephaestion's lap and rested his brow against his lover's so he could study those unfathomable blue eyes. "What do you want to know?"

"What happened after Alexander died?" Hephaestion sucked in his breath – he had wanted to ask Bagoas for details for some time now, but had pushed his own needs aside as long as Bagoas was still healing. But Bagoas had grown strong – hopefully strong enough to discuss this horrid detail of their past.

Bagoas frowned. "I told you, didn't I?"

"I don't think that is what Hephaestion wants to know." Alexander was still better at reading between the lines when it came down to his other half. "This isn't about what happened to you, Bagoas." Looking Hephaestion in the eye, he asked, "You want to know what happened to my corpse?"

Hephaestion nodded his head once. With Bagoas straddling his hips, his movement was limited, but he still managed to bury one of Alexander's hands in his. "Yes, that is it." His gaze shifted back from Alexander to Bagoas. "And only you can answer that question."

Bagoas' eyes sought out Alexander's. "We should start at the beginning." Both his lovers gave him a puzzled look, but Bagoas merely nodded his head to confirm his words. "What happened after Hephaestion died, Alexander?"

Alexander finally understood the point Bagoas was trying to make. Hephaestion's head slowly gravitated toward his shoulder and his lover's head now rested against his. "After holding the funeral ceremonies I started the fire that would burn your body. Once everything was over, I gathered the ashes and sealed them inside a bust I had made to keep your memory alive. It stood at the end of my bed the day I died."

Realizing it was now his turn to speak, Bagoas said, "After Alexander had died, chaos had ensued. They actually fought over the body and it was only because of Crateros' help that I managed to take Alexander's remains into safety." Reliving the memories was painful, as he was also forced to remember his former insane jealousy toward Hephaestion, but Bagoas didn't shy away from it. "Crateros and I decided that your remains should be conserved and a team of embalmers began to work on you. They were Egyptians and had long perfected their techniques. After they were done, I had looked at you and I had thought you were still alive. You didn't look dead, Alexander."

Alexander squeezed Hephaestion's hand for this was also new to him. "What did you do next?"

"Crateros wanted to take your corpse back to Macedon, but by now, fighting had spread through your former Kingdom. In the end, we decided that your final resting place should be Troy, where your heroes Achilles and Patrocles also rested." Bagoas drew in a deep breath. "It took me almost a year to take you there. Crateros had assigned an escort of your most loyal warriors to me and we were all determined to reach Troy. We moved slowly because your cart got stuck in the mud several times."

"You did that for me?" Alexander's big eyes had fastened on Bagoas in love.

"I did more than that." Bagoas lowered his gaze and stared at Hephaestion's fingers which rested on his thigh. "No matter how much I hated you, Hephaestion, I knew that I could not separate your remains from Alexander's, so I took that bust with me as well."

Hephaestion's eyes swam with unshed tears. "I am so very proud of you!"

"Just hear me out!" Bagoas raised his eyes swiftly and swallowed hard as he looked into Hephaestion's watery ones. "It took us several weeks to dig into one of the hills there, but we managed to create a room inside of it. We placed Alexander's sarcophagus inside, along with Hephaestion's bust and some personal belongings."

An ominous feeling coursed through Hephaestion. He had the feeling that something really bad was going to rock his world. "What happened next?" Alexander's fingers tightened around his, revealing that his lover shared his worries.

"I ordered them to return home. Most of the warriors hailed from Macedon and they were happy to return to their families. I stayed though. I didn't leave." Tremors shook Bagoas' frame – he had never thought he would ever have to tell this.

"What did you do?" Hephaestion rubbed Bagoas' face until the younger man calmed down a bit. Bagoas' dark eyes were also filling with tears and Hephaestion's heart thundered in his chest with apprehension. What news could be so terrible that Bagoas didn't want to tell them?

"I told them to close the entrance and…"

Hephaestion's eyes narrowed. "Bagoas, the way you said that… Does that mean you were still inside when they closed the tomb?" He hoped he had reached the wrong conclusion – for if it was the truth it would be hard to bear!

"Yes, I stayed behind. I had no place to go and wanted to die there. I had long prepared my wine – had added the poison to it and, once they had closed the entrance, I drank it. I died within the next few minutes. This is nothing new to you. The two of you know I took my life." Bagoas gave Hephaestion a rueful smile. "I wanted to be together with Alexander in death."

Alexander had remained quiet during Bagoas' revelations and stared at his lover in disbelief. He had known that Bagoas had taken his life after he'd died, but hadn't realized he had buried himself while he had still been alive. "Bagoas, I wish you had found the strength to continue on living instead of taking your life in such a way. I never wanted you to join me in death. I wanted you to be happy."

The smile that Bagoas gave Alexander spoke of a silent sadness. "What was I supposed to do, Alexander? Where could I go?"

"You mentioned that Crateros offered you a home with him." Hephaestion thought he had heard Bagoas say that once.

"Yes, he did, but why I should I have accepted his offer?" Bagoas' expression was open and hid nothing from his lovers. "I lived for you, Alexander, and when you died I lost my reason to live."

Hephaestion freed his hand from Alexander's hold and wrapped his arms around Bagoas' trembling form. He eased Bagoas against him and buried his younger lover in a tight hug. "You united the three of us in death. Maybe that is why we managed to find each other again in this life."

Bagoas rubbed his face against the fabric of Hephaestion's shirt. "I feel so ashamed of my behavior – my thoughts. I didn't want that bust – your remains – in there as well, but I knew Alexander would want that. I felt like I couldn't even rid myself of your presence in death!"

Hephaestion held Bagoas as the younger man tried to come to terms with this unpleasant memory. "I am sorry I asked you…"

But Bagoas firmly shook his head against Hephaestion's chest and murmured, "No, there shouldn't be any secrets between the three of us. I love you… I love both of you… and I want you to know that I have changed."

"I know that you have changed, my love." Hephaestion pressed a kiss onto Bagoas' raven hair and then cocked his head in order to make eye contact with Alexander. A plan was forming in his head and it looked like Alexander had had the same idea. "I want to go there."

Bagoas' head jerked back and the large, swimming eyes fastened in shock on Hephaestion. "You want what?"

"I want to go to Troy and locate our tomb," Hephaestion clarified.

"But why?" Bagoas felt like pulling out his hair. Why had he told them in the first place? They should let the past rest! Hadn't Hephaestion learned that lesson yet? Not even after watching that Oliver Stone film which had left him shaken? "We shouldn't do that."

But then Alexander spoke. "No, Bagoas, I agree with Hephaestion. We have to go there."

"But why? You will find nothing there but death!" Bagoas blinked, feeling rather dazed.

Hephaestion smiled tenderly at Bagoas and soothingly stroked the younger man's back. The touch helped and Bagoas managed to regain his composure. Now that his lover was calm once more, Hephaestion said, "You have been so strong so far, Bagoas. Can't you be strong a little longer?"

"But why do you need to go there?" Bagoas continued to shiver against Hephaestion. "I am not sure I can find your last resting place… There were a lot of hills and I wasn't in my right mind. All you will find is Alexander's embalmed corpse and that is it!"

Hephaestion slowly shook his head. "We will find more there, trust me." He couldn't quite explain why he needed to go there, but he only knew that he had to see their last resting place for himself.

Alexander nodded his head; he supported Hephaestion's decision. Hephaestion was right; they needed to go to Troy and visit their tomb, though not even Alexander knew *why*.

~~~

Bagoas blankly stared at the screen of his laptop. He had accessed pictures of the burial hills at Troy and thought he had recognized the one they had used to store Alexander's remains in. He had briefly entertained the thought of changing Hephaestion's mind, but then he had recalled that Alexander also wanted to go and there was no way he could fight both of them over this. /Fight? Fight them? Why should I? Why does this upset me?/

During his time spent with Hephaestion in this lifetime he had learned that running away from his fears wasn't going to work and that he should face them instead. /What am I afraid of?/

Alexander had typed his fears up in story snippets and even Hephaestion had admitted to confiding his memories concerning his argument with Alexander over Eumenes to his laptop and now Bagoas wondered if the same thing would work for him as well. Would typing everything up help him understand the terror that coursed through him whenever he thought of having to face Troy?

He could try.

~~~

# I am tired. So very tired and I have finally come to the end of my journey. Taking Alexander's remains to Troy has worn me down and I can tell by looking at the faces of his soldiers that they want to return home. This is their way of paying Alexander their last respects and, once he has found his last resting place here, they will return to their wives and children.

But I will never leave this place. I will stay here, at Troy. Where else should I go? Yes, Crateros and other of Alexander's Companions offered to take me in, but I don't want that. I have never been someone to live on charity. I might be able to make it on my own. I still have some valuables Alexander left me and I could sell those. The money they would bring would allow me to buy a home and live in peace and quiet for some years. But that is not who I am. I served Kings and I saw them die. How can I settle for a life on the country side? I have changed. I have seen too much to go back to an ordinary way of life.

My life has been full of pain, pleasure, incredible sights, conquests, loss, jealousy, and love and I want it to end it like I lived – in a dramatic way.

I knew this would happen ever since the day Alexander died. I will never forget the way he called out for Hephaestion – the way his eyes pleaded with the gods to reunite them and I had to let him go. My love didn't matter. Only Hephaestion's did and, in the end, I had no choice but to accept that.

This tomb will do nicely. We dug out this room in the heart of the hill and it holds enough room for my plans. Alexander's sarcophagus is already being placed at the center of the room and the soldiers are now also adding Hephaestion's bust and a trunk with some of Alexander's personal belongings. I glare in hatred at the bust which holds Hephaestion's ashes. I was doomed to lose this battle – I was destined to fade into nothingness. I don't compare to Hephaestion in Alexander's eyes – my King preferred to die. My love wasn't enough reason for him to remain alive… I failed him.

"We are ready, Bagoas." The officer in charge walks up to me and gives me a long, hard look. I told him about my plans and he tried to change my mind, but to no avail. I am determined to do this.

"Then close the entrance. I want our King's rest to be undisturbed for eternity." Hopefully no one will ever find out that Alexander's remains rest at Troy.

"Bagoas, I wish I could change your mind. You are throwing your life away."

"My mind is made up." I ignore the look filled with sympathy and sorrow the officer gives me. In a strange way, I became a part of Alexander's army throughout the years. The officers accepted me and I never expected that to happen. "Leave me."

He shakes his head and I can tell that he is going to try once more to change my mind, but I simply turn my back toward him and stare at the sarcophagus instead. "Go," I say in the most commanding tone I can muster. I hope it is enough to make him comply.

"I am sorry, Bagoas…" Those are the last words he utters before leaving my side and ordering the soldiers to close the entrance with mud and stone. In a few minutes, I will be buried alive inside.

I lock out the noise they are making now that they are sealing the entrance and I kneel beside Alexander's remains. I have an oil lamp with me and I place it on the lid of Alexander's sarcophagus. I asked for it to be made of glass so I could look upon him in my dying moments.

He looks peaceful in death. He looks asleep and there is a tiny smile on his face. In his hands, he holds a letter. Just before he died, he asked for it and, out of curiosity, I checked its content after his death. It didn't surprise me to find that it was a letter he had written to his Hephaestion – a letter in which he declares his undying love for the other man. It is even more proof of my failure to replace Hephaestion's love with mine.

Kneeling beside the stone sarcophagus, I stare at his face, relaxed in death and oh so beautiful. His long, fair hair frames his face and for one moment I wish the eyes would open and look at me in love. But they will remain closed for all eternity.

I must credit the Egyptian embalmers. They did their work extremely well and Alexander will be preserved for eternity. It is almost a shame that no one will ever again look upon the face of Alexander the Great, but I refuse to share him. He is mine now in death -- all mine.

The soldiers have closed the entrance and I am alone now with death – cut off from the living. I will die of lack of oxygen in time, but I don't want to wait that long. I don't want to die of suffocation. I uncover the phial that holds the poisonous wine. I mixed a cobra's venom into it and it will cause my death within minutes. I won't suffer that long and then I can finally cast away this burden that I have carried my entire life.

I was cheated out of my life, my family, my heirs, and my birthright, but serving Alexander had made my life a little more bearable. I have seen things no one else will. I have known Alexander the Great. I have known him intimately and no one can take my memories away from me. I only wish my love had been enough for Alexander.

I remove the stopper from the phial and draw in a deep breath. I don't want to drink yet… I will wait until the light of the oil lamp goes out. I want to look at him as long as I can… My lover… My King… My everything…

~~~

An hour later, the air begins to become thin and the light of the lamp falters. The time has come and I place the phial against my lips. Soon, Alexander, soon… I will join you in death…

I empty the phial's content and the glass slips from my fingers. It falls onto the ground and a sharp pain twists my insides. This is it – this is death.

My body convulses and my heart continues to pump the poison through my veins. The pain is intense, but I know everything will be over within a few seconds.

"Alexander… I love you…" I want those to be my last words, but I am not prepared to hear just how broken my voice sounds when I speak them. I stare at his face, place my hands against the glass that keeps us apart, and draw in my last breath. A sharp pain stabs my heart and it stops beating, finally succumbing to the poison. My head drops onto the glass lid and my pupils widen in death.

It's done -- we are together in death. #

~~~

Bagoas stared at the screen through a waterfall of tears which dripped from his face and onto his shirt. His hands shook violently and he was unable to continue typing. He released a strangled sob and cried – hard.

"Bagoas?" Alexander, who had been readying the table for dinner, walked over to Bagoas and knelt so he was level with the younger man. "Bagoas? Look at me?" Seeing and hearing Bagoas weep tore him apart and he wanted nothing more than to console him. "What's amiss?"

Bagoas finally raised his head and blinked a few times in an effort to rid himself of his tears. Seeing Alexander alive and well in front of him calmed him down. Needing to also feel him, Bagoas wrapped his arms around Alexander's shoulders and then pulled him close. "I remembered something…"

Alexander privately cursed their memories. Some time ago, it had been Hephaestion who had felt crushed under his memories concerning Eumenes and now it was Bagoas who had recalled something nasty. "What was it?"

"Your sarcophagus had a lid made of glass and I remembered the way you looked in death…" Bagoas hiccupped and then cried some more. "You looked so much at peace…"

Alexander proceeded to pull Bagoas close and held him tight. "I never considered what my death would do to you. I lost my mind after Hephaestion died. I could still sense your love for me, but I hungered for something else."

"You hungered for Hephaestion." Composing himself again, Bagoas wiped away his tears and sat upright. Alexander's hands were clasped around his and rested in his lap. "I am afraid, Alexander."

"What are you afraid of?" Alexander couldn't thank Hephaestion enough for teaching him that they needed to discuss their feelings – their fears and their hopes. It had improved his relationships a lot – with Hephaestion and with Bagoas as well.

"I am afraid how I will react when I look upon your sarcophagus again, Alexander." But there was something else as well. How would he react to seeing his remains – his skeleton – lying next to the sarcophagus? What would that confrontation do to him?

"You won't be alone when you go in there, Bagoas. Hephaestion and I will be at your side. We will help you cope." Alexander rubbed Bagoas' trembling fingers. "And you *do* have faith in us, don't you?"

Bagoas managed a weak smile at seeing Alexander's hopeful expression. "I do. I know you won't let me down. The two of you have come through each time since we found each other again. I have faith in you."

Alexander returned the smile and nodded his head once. "Hephaestion is right, you know. You are much stronger than you think, especially since you stopped fighting your past and made your peace with it. You can do this. I have faith in you too."

Alexander's words were just the thing Bagoas needed to hear and he leaned in closer to press a kiss onto Alexander's lips. "Thank you, my Al'skander."

Alexander's smile brightened and he gave Bagoas a wink. "I will always be your 'Al'skander'."

Bagoas felt calmer now that he had confided his fears to Alexander. Yes, he could do this. He could do this because he had Alexander and Hephaestion's support. His lovers would pull him through. "When will we leave?"

"Hephaestion said he would like to leave in a few days, if that's all right with you."

Bagoas nodded. Now that he had made up his mind to do this, he wanted to get it over with. The sooner they left the better.

TBC

Part 2

Bagoas still didn’t feel comfortable with the idea of visiting Troy, but he had accepted the inevitable. He was seated in the backseat and had been assigned to read the map, as Hephaestion had proven a failure at map reading. Bagoas, however, suspected Hephaestion had read the map wrong on purpose so the older man could transfer that responsibility onto him in an effort to distract him. His nervousness had showed clearly and Bagoas was actually grateful that he now had something to do.

"Alexander, turn right." They were only an hour away from Troy and Bagoas forced himself to remain composed. The strategy was working. Although he felt edgy, he was in control of his nerves.

"I am excited," Alexander admitted, steering the car in the right direction. "Bagoas, you mentioned that you also sealed some personal belongings in with me. Do you remember what they were?"

"Letters mostly." In retrospect, Bagoas felt thankful that he had set his jealousy aside in the end and had included the bundle of letters Hephaestion and Alexander had written each other whenever they had been forced apart for a longer stretch of time. Reading them again would please Alexander and Bagoas reckoned Hephaestion as well.

Alexander frowned, suddenly recalling something. "Bagoas, I cut off a braid of Hephaestion's hair before he was put onto the pyre. Didn't I put it inside a letter? Did you manage to save that one as well?"

Bagoas continued to read the map, but nodded his head at the same time. "I think so. It should be inside the chest." Strangely enough, discussing these details was helping him calm further. He wasn't as nervous as he had thought he would be – he actually felt calm and in control.

Alexander seemed excited and Bagoas understood why. Alexander was about to enter his past again – a past which was precious to him and therefore the former King didn't fear it. It was Hephaestion who worried Bagoas though. Hephaestion had grown eerily quiet now that Troy was getting closer. Bagoas managed a peek at Hephaestion's blue eyes in the mirror and found them big and blank. "Hephaestion? Is something wrong?"

Hearing Bagoas' question, Alexander also peeked at his lover and identified the empty look in the blue eyes. His lover's thoughts were somewhere else – probably in the past. "Hephaestion?"

"I am fine," Hephaestion quickly said in order to reassure them. "Just thinking of the past."

"Do you still want to do this? We can still turn back, you know." Bagoas was still convinced that turning back was the best thing to do. Locating Alexander's remains would evoke powerful emotions and it was impossible to tell just how they would react to seeing Alexander's embalmed remains.

"I am sure," Hephaestion answered, but this time his voice sounded strained and stressed. "We need to do this."

"No, we don't." But Bagoas received no answer after making that statement and concentrated on reading his map again. Hephaestion wouldn't listen to him, though he had no idea why.

~~~

Bagoas felt composed as he stepped out of the car. Alexander was already looking around in an attempt to get his bearings, while Hephaestion looked lost. Acting on his instincts which told him that Hephaestion needed him, Bagoas curled his fingers around the older man's and squeezed them in order to show his support. He wanted to remind Hephaestion once more that they didn't have to do this, but in the end, he didn't. In Hephaestion's eyes he had read the determination to do this.

Hephaestion gave Bagoas a weak smile once he noticed their twined fingers. "Do you remember which hill it was?"

Bagoas drew in a deep breath and scanned his surroundings. While he had been surfing on the internet, he thought he had located the right hill, but now he hesitated to share that information with his lovers. Something felt off and an apprehensive feeling moved through him. His eyes narrowed, realizing that his attention was focused on Hephaestion. /Something is wrong with him, but what is it?/

"Hephaestion?" Alexander had removed the two shovels he had brought with him from the car and now looked with expectation at Bagoas. "Where do we start to dig?"

"Over there." Bagoas pointed at one of the tallest hills. "I believe I recognize its shape."

"Let's get started then." Resolutely, Alexander marched toward the hill and then started to shovel.

~~~

Hephaestion joined Alexander and they now worked together on exposing the entrance to the tomb the soldiers he had dug centuries ago. Bagoas watched Hephaestion closely and worried about the distant expression in those blue eyes. Because he was so focused on Hephaestion, he forgot about his own worries and fears.

"I have found something!" Alexander had shoveled loads of clay out of the way and now his shovel met with no more resistance.

Hephaestion moved over to where Alexander was standing and, together, they removed the last earth that kept them from reaching the tomb hidden inside. Bagoas felt catapulted back into the past and recalled how hard the soldiers had worked on creating the space inside the hill. They had used the beams made of several strong trees to support the earth so the hill wouldn't collapse into itself and now the first support beams appeared in front of him. Yes, this was the hill. This was where Alexander's remains had been buried.

"Bagoas, get the flash lights from the car. We will need them to light our way!" Alexander, growing even more energized, now pushed the earth out of the way and tried to throw a first glance inside, but there was only darkness.

Bagoas fetched the flash lights and handed one of them to Alexander. He kept one himself and pressed the last flash light into Hephaestion's hand.

Alexander switched it on and directed the strong beam at the inside of the hill. "Oh my," he whispered when he realized that they had found the sarcophagus.

Bagoas pushed Alexander aside and hurried inside. His breath caught now that the light rested on the collapsed skeleton next to the sarcophagus. It was a strange, almost surreal experience to look upon his remains. His raven hair had remained intact and covered the bones that made up his face. He was still wearing the circlet Alexander had once gifted to him and a golden amulet rested on his exposed breast bone. The fabric of his clothes had long faced decay and only a few strands of gold remained. The jewelry was still intact, though. His ankle and arm bracelets, the amulet, and the circlet looked the same they had on the day he had drunk the poisonous wine.

During his death, he had collapsed onto the glass lid, and his upper body rested atop the sarcophagus. "That's me…"

Alexander, recalling how Bagoas had sobbed after realizing he was about to face his corpse, quickly reached for his younger lover and wrapped an arm around Bagoas' waist. "Your loyalty and dedication went beyond the grave, Bagoas. You did everything right."

Alexander's words worked miracles and soothed him. He had been about to burst into tears, but now Bagoas found he had no more reason to shed them. He had done everything right – everything. "You should be the first to look," he said, pointing Alexander to the sarcophagus. "I am not certain I will." He still remembered how Alexander had looked in death and had made his peace with his past during these last few days.

Alexander moved toward the sarcophagus. The light guided his way and he sucked in his breath when he caught a first look of his embalmed body resting beneath the glass lid. He had seen his face many times in the mirror – had heard Hephaestion praise his handsome features, had shaved himself countless times, and yet, when he looked at that ancient face, he knew it wasn't him lying in that sarcophagus, not anymore. This was a different man. This man had been driven by fear, ambition, and insanity. This man had believed that he was destined to be more than a mortal man – to be a god and nothing less.

With the utmost care, he moved closer and knelt next to the sarcophagus. "Bagoas, more light please."

Bagoas redirected the beam of his flash light and now enabled Alexander to take in more of his remains.

Alexander was unable to draw in his next breath and felt like he could choke any moment. He was looking at his alter ego, Alexander the Great, and Bagoas had been right – he looked alive, like he was merely asleep. "Bagoas, help me lift the lid." He had caught sight of the letter and now wanted to remove the piece of paper from the sarcophagus.

"Should you do that, Alexander? It might fall apart. It is old – so old." Bagoas shuffled toward Alexander and considered his lover's request. "We shouldn't do this. We should let this rest – let it remain undisturbed."

Alexander considered Bagoas' words carefully. "Where are the other letters?"
"In the trunk over there." Bagoas indicated the trunk's location by moving the light over there. He followed Alexander and squatted, mimicking Alexander, when the blond man opened the trunk. Directing the light into it, they found that most of the letters had remained intact.

Alexander reached for a bundle of letters, unfolded the paper, and read the confessions of love Hephaestion and he had exchanged year after year. Examining the contents of the trunk further, he released a delighted yelp as he also uncovered the braid of Hephaestion's hair. "It survived!" Alexander was about to get to his feet again and present the letters to Hephaestion when a keening wail echoed through the tomb.

In their excitement, Bagoas and Alexander had forgotten about Hephaestion, who had approached the sarcophagus and had then collapsed beside it.

"Hephaestion?" Bagoas privately cursed himself for not paying attention to Hephaestion when it had already been obvious that the older man had been upset. He hurried over to Hephaestion's side and knelt beside him. "Hephaestion?"

But Hephaestion was unable to react to Bagoas' pleading tone. All he saw was Alexander – his Alexander – dead, embalmed, and laid to rest in his sarcophagus. "Alexander!"

Alexander reacted at once and covered the distance between them. His first reaction was to kneel in front of Hephaestion, but that was impossible, as Hephaestion had wrapped his arms around the sarcophagus. Hephaestion's upper body rested on the glass lid, so Alexander opted for a different approach and knelt behind Hephaestion.

Hephaestion had gone into shock at seeing Alexander's remains. Until now, Alexander's death had been a scene on screen – or a picture woven from Bagoas' words, but now, all that had become terribly real. "No, you can't be dead!"

"We need to get him out of here." Hephaestion's reaction alarmed Alexander, who resorted to using force in order to pull Hephaestion's hands free of the sarcophagus. "Hephaestion, listen to me. Listen to my voice. I am not dead. I am alive. I am here with you." But Hephaestion was beyond his reach and the distressed man continued to sob and wail uncontrollably. In the end, Alexander realized he had no other choice and used all of his strength to pull Hephaestion away from the sarcophagus. "Bagoas, help me!"

Hephaestion was a dead weight in-between them as Alexander and Bagoas half-dragged, half-carried him outside. Alexander lowered Hephaestion onto the grass and quickly moved into Hephaestion's line of sight. "Look at me!" He cupped Hephaestion's chin in his hand and raised his lover's head. Hephaestion shook over his entire body and seemed to be fighting to draw in his next breath. "Hephaestion!"

Bagoas felt helpless. All he could do was support Hephaestion, while Alexander tried to pull their lover from the shock he was in. /Why didn't I see this coming? I should have known something like this would happen! Alexander had had the time and the opportunity to mourn Hephaestion's death and I had had the time to accept Alexander's death's as well. Alexander and I faced our lover's death, but Hephaestion never did as he died before we did. He never saw Alexander dead./

"Bagoas, fetch the bottled water." Alexander was growing desperate now that Hephaestion still didn't react to his pleading.

Bagoas eased Hephaestion against Alexander and then went to get the water Alexander had asked for.

Alexander wrapped his arms around Hephaestion's trembling form and now rocked his lover. Hephaestion's head rested against his shoulder and his lover's skin felt cold and clammy. It was so damn easy to forget that Hephaestion was only human too. Hephaestion was always the strong one, the rock he had built his life and love on and now that Hephaestion had crumbled under the emotional pressure, Alexander knew he had to pull him through. It was a strange position he found himself in, but he was determined not to let Hephaestion down. "I am here for you, Hephaestion. I am here for you… You are not alone… I am not dead, Hephaestion."

Alexander kept up the soothing murmuring until Bagoas returned with the bottled water. He placed the bottle against Hephaestion's lips and forced some of the cool liquid down his lover's throat in the hope that it would jolt him out of his stupor.

It seemed to work. Hephaestion coughed violently, the eyes regained their normal awareness, but then another scream left his lover's lips, making Alexander's skin crawl. "What is happening with him? I don't understand." Feeling helpless, Alexander sought out Bagoas' eyes.

"Think about it. You witnessed his demise and you took care of his remains. I did the same thing for you, but as Hephaestion died first, your death never truly registered with him – until now. Now, it is all of a sudden very real for him." Bagoas rubbed large circles onto Hephaestion's back, trying to establish some sort of contact.

Bagoas' words made sense and Alexander cursed himself for being so ignorant. He should have realized that something like this could happen. "What do we do?"

"What we are doing right now. We can't move him in his current condition. We must make him react to us." Bagoas sat down and pulled Hephaestion's back against his chest, locking his arms around the older man. "There should be a blanket in the car. Get it and see if some coffee is left."

Alexander made his way over to the car, returned with the blanket, and covered Hephaestion's convulsing body with it. He had also brought the flask with coffee in it and now poured some of the black liquid into a plastic cup. "I never thought this could happen." He placed the cup at Hephaestion's lips and grew a bit calmer when his lover obediently swallowed the coffee. "He is always the strong one… I tend to forget that he has needs too."

"So do I." Bagoas however was determined not to make that mistake again and he could tell by reading Alexander's expression that the blond man was determined to do better as well. "Sometimes, he needs to lean on us."

Alexander nodded and managed to establish eye contact with Hephaestion, who was blinking rapidly. "Please hand him to me. I need to hold him."

Bagoas complied and eased Hephaestion's body into Alexander's arms. Realizing the two men needed some privacy he got to his feet, picked up the flash lights, and walked toward the tomb again.

Hephaestion blinked one more time, gasped for air, and then coughed violently. The first thing he became aware of was the warm body pressed against his and when he raised his eyes, his heart stopped beating for one terrible moment. "You are dead."

"No, I am not dead. I am alive and I am holding you in my arms, my beloved Hephaestion." Alexander pressed a kiss onto his lover's brow and succeeded in maintaining eye contact, even though Hephaestion's gaze was still a bit unfocused. "I am here. I am alive. And so are you."

Still shivering, Hephaestion pulled the blanket closer. "What happened?" His head still spun and whenever he closed his eyes, he saw Alexander's remains in his mind. "I saw your corpse just now."

"I died a long time ago, Hephaestion, and so did you. But we are alive again, don't you remember?" Alexander stroked Hephaestion's hair and continued to rock him. His entire being was focused on comforting his lover. "I should have listened to Bagoas when he said we should let the past rest."

Hephaestion blinked again and spat out the coffee he had sipped. His stomach had rebelled and he pressed tightly against Alexander. "I feel strange."

"I will look after you, my beloved. Don't worry." It was seldom that he was called upon to be the strong one in their relationship, but he rose to the challenge and continued to rock Hephaestion until his lover grew a bit calmer. Driving back home today was out of the question – Hephaestion needed to rest and not be cooped up in a car. "We brought tents. Is it okay with you that we camp here?"

But Hephaestion didn't really seem to register Alexander's question. His lips continued to whisper, "You are dead… You are dead…"

"I am so sorry I brought you here… so sorry." Alexander buried Hephaestion's head beneath his chin and rocked him.

~~~

Bagoas surprised himself by being steadfast and faced his past once more. He sat on his heels in front of his remains and studied the skeleton. So this was what remained of him after such a long time.

His gaze was drawn toward the jewelry – to the circlet to be precise. He had always been fond of it, as it had been a present from Alexander and he carefully removed it from the raven hair. Some strands remained entangled with the circlet and he gathered them in his hand before putting the circlet into the pocket of his jacket. He also removed the ankle bracelets, but left the rest in place. He needed to take something palpable with him from this adventure.

His next gaze was directed at the sarcophagus and, although he didn't know why he did it, he pushed the glass lid aside so he could reach inside. Using a small knife, which he had found in the trunk earlier, he cut off three locks of Alexander's hair and put them into a pouch, which he had also removed from the chest. It had contained healing herbs, but he now removed them so it could now hold Alexander's hair. He put the lid back into place again and then moved over to the trunk. He closed the lid and then dragged it outside. He was quite certain that Alexander would want to leave as quickly as possible, but not without taking with them what he had come for.

~~~

Alexander had eventually decided against putting up the tents and had moved Hephaestion into the passenger's seat of the car. Sitting on his heels in front of Hephaestion, he guided his lover's head between his love’s knees and rubbed Hephaestion's neck in the hope to draw him further from his disorientated state. "Just draw in deep breaths, Hephaestion, and all will be well."

From the corner of his eye, Alexander watched Bagoas lift the small chest and place it in the car's trunk. He nodded his head once to show his approval and then gestured for Bagoas to join him.

"How is he doing?" Bagoas sat down on the grass and watched Hephaestion lift his head. The older man looked extremely pale, his eyes were red-rimmed, and the lips moved, but brought forth no words.

"Not too well, but at least he is back with us." Alexander remained concerned about his lover. "I underestimated the effect this would have on him."

"I didn't consider it either. I knew something was wrong, but I didn't know what it was." Bagoas moved closer until he could rub Hephaestion's face. Hephaestion gave him a grateful look and then put his head between his knees again, drawing in deep breaths, just as Alexander had told him to.

"I am going to close the tomb again," Alexander announced. "I don't want Hephaestion to go back in there. You were right, Bagoas. We should have let the past rest. Will you stay with Hephaestion while I…" His voice drifted off as his gaze shifted toward the still exposed entrance. He needed to go inside one last time – to say his goodbyes to himself. /Now that's a weird thought./ But it was the truth.

"Go on. I will stay with Hephaestion." Bagoas understood what was going on in Alexander's head and watched the reborn warrior-king disappear inside again. Now that Alexander was out of view, he concentrated on Hephaestion instead.

~~~

Alexander used his flash light to illuminate various parts of the tomb. The first thing the ray happened upon was Hephaestion's bust. It stood in a corner and was covered with dust, but the features were unmistakably Hephaestion's. "Oh, my beloved Hephaestion," he whispered, remembering that his lover's ashes were locked inside the bust. "I kept my promise and by doing that, I sentenced Bagoas to death as well."

He gave the bust one last parting look and then let the ray of light descend onto Bagoas' skeleton. He noticed that the circlet had been removed and reckoned Bagoas wanted to keep it with him. It had been one of several presents which he had given to the eunuch in their first life. "Bagoas, I failed you. I utterly failed you." He had made too many mistakes where the younger man was concerned, but he hoped that he had made amends in this life.

In the end, he looked at his remains. Bagoas was right – he merely looked asleep. Studying the identical face, Alexander realized he still saw traces of pride and arrogance in the wrinkles. Alexander the Great had left behind a torn empire, which had quickly fallen apart after his death. He had failed in more ways than one.

In the end, all he'd had to hold on to had been a letter in which he had told Hephaestion just how much he loved him and needed him. He had clung to it in the moment of his death.

/This is my past and I need to let it rest. I have Hephaestion to look after. Only the gods know what this did to him. I never expected him to fall apart like that. What have I done?/

~~~

Alexander closed the entrance and he did it with a vengeance that surprised Bagoas, who kept a close eye on him. Alexander managed to erase all traces of their expedition and, when the blond man joined them, Alexander looked much older than he had when they had set out on this journey. This experience had changed Alexander.

"We are driving home." Alexander determinedly approached Hephaestion, who was sitting in the shade of a tree. Alexander noticed that Bagoas had made sure that the car blocked the view of the tomb and Hephaestion hadn't seen him go inside or close up the entrance. "Hephaestion, we are going home." The look which Hephaestion gave him made Alexander's heart pound in his chest. He had never seen Hephaestion look so vulnerable before and he lowered himself onto his heels so he could tangle his fingers in his lover's hair. "We are going home, my beloved Hephaestion."

"I don't feel well," Hephaestion said in a soft voice, which was barely more than a whisper. "I feel weak. I am not sure my legs can support me." The shock he had suffered had taken its toll on his system. "I want to lie down and sleep."

"You can do that once we are on our way." Alexander pushed his arms beneath Hephaestion's knees and back. Lifting his lover took all of his strength. He wasn't used to having to carry Hephaestion. His lover was stronger than he was, but somehow, Alexander managed to carry him over to the car. The way Hephaestion rested his head against his chest moved Alexander deeply. Never before had Hephaestion needed him to be so strong on an emotional level.

With Bagoas' help, Alexander managed to place Hephaestion on the back seat. He lifted Hephaestion's legs and, although the back seat was too small to accommodate a lying Hephaestion, his lover managed after pulling in his legs. "Will this do for now?" Maybe he should desert his idea to drive home. It would take them three hours to get back to their cottage and he wasn't certain Hephaestion would be comfortable for so long, cooped up as he was on the back seat. Maybe they should stop when they encountered a hotel.

"I want to go home, Alexander, please." Hephaestion still sounded distressed, disoriented even. "Just take me home."

"I will," Alexander promised. He turned to Bagoas and asked, "Are we ready to leave?"

Bagoas nodded his head once. The chest was safe in the car's trunk and contained Alexander's belongings which he had valued so much in life. They had found what they had come for.

Alexander started the car and steered it away from Troy. He vowed to never return here.

TBC

Part 3

Relief flooded Alexander when they finally drove up to their cottage. Hephaestion had been quiet during their trip home and, concerned, Bagoas had changed his seat in the front for the back seat. Hephaestion had pushed himself in an upright position and had rested his head against Bagoas' shoulder. Alexander had studied them in his mirror and had seen how their fingers had interlaced. Hephaestion was doing better – but only marginally.

He parked the car close to their cottage and then switched off the engine. Alexander opened the car door, got out, and then opened the other door so he could assist Hephaestion in getting out.

Hephaestion drew in a deep breath and forced himself into motion. He shifted toward the end of the seat, placed his feet on the ground, and summoned his strength in order to push himself upright. Fortunately Alexander caught him and steadied him as he swayed. He felt light-headed and his body shivered with cold, which was odd as it was a warm evening. He shouldn't be feeling cold.

Bagoas exited the car as well, closed the door behind him, and then came up to Hephaestion's right side. Alexander and he supported Hephaestion and they slowly walked toward the cottage. Peritas, who had woken from his sleep, now advanced on them and wagged his tail. But they ignored the dog, not daring to loosen their hold on Hephaestion.

Bagoas looked questioningly at Alexander and awaited directions.

"We will put him to bed. He needs rest." Once Hephaestion was lying down comfortably he might feel better.

They guided Hephaestion into the bedroom and sat him down on the side of the bed. Alexander made quick work of removing Hephaestion's clothes, while Bagoas turned down the covers and lit several candles so it wouldn't be completely dark in the room. Bagoas lifted Hephaestion's feet and Alexander eased their lover down onto his side. "I will stay, don't worry." Alexander would have liked to examine the content of the chest they had brought with them, but reassuring Hephaestion and comforting his lover was his first priority. "Just give me a moment to strip." Alexander gave Bagoas a meaningful look, which said, 'You too'.

Bagoas had no problems with that and, after he had stepped out of his clothes, he slipped between the sheets and lay spooned behind Hephaestion, whom he pulled close against him.

Alexander, who was naked now, stretched out in front of Hephaestion so his lover could see him. He folded his arms around Hephaestion and maintained eye contract. What would tonight be like? Would Hephaestion be able to rest? "You should try to sleep."

Hephaestion shivered like a leaf and his lovers reacted by pressing closer. Their arms, and even Bagoas' legs, were tightly wrapped around him and yet, Hephaestion still felt lost. He was afraid to close his eyes because then the memory of seeing Alexander dead inside that sarcophagus would come back to haunt him. His gaze remained fastened on Alexander's face and he continued to fight his exhaustion. He still felt very weak and light-headed; he hated feeling that way. "Why do I feel this way?"

Alexander caressed Hephaestion's hair and with his other hand, he rubbed his lover's side. "Because you never had a chance to mourn my death, Hephaestion, and now you were confronted by the past. You were rather unprepared and I had no idea it would hit you that hard – seeing me dead."

"I am cold," Hephaestion murmured in a lost tone. "Why am I cold?"

Hephaestion's child-like tone touched Alexander and he stroked the cold skin beneath his fingertips harder in an effort to warm his lover up. "You suffered a shock, Hephaestion. Don't talk, try to rest instead. Try to sleep."

"I can't. I don't want to." Hephaestion's eyes however were already in the process of closing. "I don't want you to be dead."

Alexander involuntarily sucked in his breath now that the blue eyes had firmly closed. Keeping up the soothing touches, he hoped Hephaestion's sleep would be undisturbed, but he was afraid nightmares would haunt his lover instead.

Bagoas suddenly began to sing softly and Alexander gave his younger lover a puzzled look. Bagoas was singing a song he had learned a long time ago when he had lived at Darius' court – it was a lullaby, which he had sung often to either lure himself or Darius into sleep.

As the song continued, the frown disappeared from Hephaestion's face and he seemed to relax a bit. Alexander gave Bagoas a grateful look. "He will need us, Bagoas – the both of us." Bagoas blinked his eyes once, indicating he had understood. "We must stay at his side tonight." Bagoas closed his eyes and continued singing his lullaby.

~~~

"No!" Hephaestion's scream cut through the bedroom and jolted his lovers awake.

Alexander privately cursed himself as he realized that he had fallen asleep when he had been determined to stay awake so he could guard his lover's sleep. Hephaestion was moving wildly about, tossing on the bed, and his arms moved uncontrollably, like he was reaching for something. /Not something – someone – me./ Alexander reacted by shaking Hephaestion – gently, but resolutely. "Hephaestion, wake up! You are having a nightmare!"

Bagoas glared at Alexander for trying to wake Hephaestion in such a rude way. Couldn't Alexander be a bit more subtle?

But Alexander continued to shake Hephaestion until the azure eyes finally opened and looked at him. "I am here, Hephaestion, I am here. Everything is all right. You had a bad dream. You had a nightmare." The expression in those blue eyes was one of terror and immense loss and Alexander quickly kissed his beloved Hephaestion while running his hands through the auburn hair. "I am here, Hephaestion. I am here."

Hephaestion calmed down slowly. During his nightmare, he had been back in that tomb and Alexander had been staring at him with dead eyes. "You…" He gasped for breath, shivered, and then latched onto Alexander. He forcefully wrapped his arms around Alexander and refused to let go. "You were dead."

"You had a nightmare, Hephaestion. I am here now, am I not?" Hephaestion had a crushing hold on him and Alexander fought to draw in his next breath. "Could you loosen your hold just a little, Hephaestion?"

Realizing his hold was keeping Alexander from drawing in oxygen, Hephaestion loosened his hold slightly. "I don't understand… How can you be dead one moment and alive the next?"

"Bagoas, do me a favor and light one of the lamps." Maybe Hephaestion would calm down further if his lover had a good look at him.

Bagoas had to let go of Hephaestion in order to do that. He left the bed, switched on one of the lamps on the night stands, and then sat down on the edge of the bed so he could watch them. His instincts were telling him to keep his distance; this was something between Alexander and Hephaestion.

"See? I am here and I am alive." Alexander pressed the palm of his hand against Hephaestion's cheek and stared deeply into those pools of teary eyes. "I am here. I am alive."

Hephaestion calmed down, now that it was obvious that Alexander was alive and well. "What is wrong with me?"

"You had a nightmare… Give it time, Hephaestion. I mourned your death until I died myself – at least I had some time to accept and deal with your passing." Alexander wished they had never visited their tomb and that they had left the past undisturbed.

Bagoas nodded his head once. Alexander had everything under control and this was one situation his presence wasn’t called for. This was something Alexander and Hephaestion had to work through together. "I will be in the living room, should you need me." He only mouthed the words as he didn't want to disturb the peaceful quiet that had now descended onto the room.

Alexander nodded once to show he had understood and then turned his attention back to Hephaestion. Bagoas snuck out of the room and Alexander realized it was now up to him to find a way to deal with Hephaestion's emotions. Hephaestion had taught him the importance of verbal communication, but this was one situation where Alexander wondered if talking would help. Maybe more drastic measures were needed in order to reclaim Hephaestion's sanity.

Feeling Alexander's lips press against his made Hephaestion gasp in surprise. Alexander locked his lips in a passionate kiss and Hephaestion could do nothing less than reply in the same manner. He parted his lips and teeth and allowed his lover inside.

Alexander immediately took advantage and deepened the kiss. At the same time, Alexander slid the palms of his hands along Hephaestion's flat abdomen and toward his lover's groin. Life started to return to his lover's sapphire eyes and, feeling encouraged, Alexander pushed the sheet aside, so he had unlimited access to his lover's body. Hopefully this was the right way to reclaim his lover.

Hephaestion sighed and stared trustingly at Alexander, who then released his lips. Alexander rolled him onto his back and Hephaestion complied, even parting his legs in welcome. Alexander felt warm and heavy atop of him and his lover's closeness worked like a soothing balm to his wounded soul.

Alexander took a moment to admire his lover's body and then moved lower until he was kneeling between Hephaestion's parted legs. He placed his hands atop Hephaestion's abdomen and merely stared into the blue eyes, reconnecting their souls.

"Alexander…" Hephaestion raised his hips, trying to show his need in a way that surpassed the use of words. "Alexander…" He was becoming alive again under Alexander's touches and those hands now stroked the insides of his thighs, teasing him into submission.

Seeing Hephaestion squirm for more urged Alexander into action. Leaning forward, he pressed kisses onto Hephaestion's abdomen. His tongue popped out and lapped its way down to his lover's member, which had hardened under his caresses. "I am here… I am alive… and so are you." After uttering those words, Alexander closed his lips over the head of his lover's erection and suckled the hard flesh until Hephaestion thrust forward and released a choked yelp.

Hephaestion lifted his hands and buried his fingers in Alexander's long, fair hair. With each touch that Alexander bestowed onto him, he began to feel more like himself. The dreadful memories were chased into the far corners of his mind and his love for Alexander burned like a red-hot flame in the pit of his stomach. "Please…" he whispered, knowing Alexander would understand what he was asking for.

Alexander nodded his head once, reached for the lubricant which they now always kept near the bed, and uncapped the tube. He squeezed a large amount onto the palm of his hand and then stroked his erection a few times, covering his cock with the lubricant.

Hephaestion had eyes only for Alexander and his gaze never shifted away from his lover's face. He needed to stare into his lover's eyes – which were alive and not dead like they had been in his nightmare. "Take me!" He felt an all-consuming urge to surrender to Alexander, to be possessed, and his lover didn't deny him. Alexander sheathed himself in one fierce thrust and then lowered himself onto Hephaestion. "Yes, like that!" Alexander knew exactly what he needed and Hephaestion savored feeling his lover's cock nestled so deep inside him. He didn't want their lovemaking to be gentle – he wanted to *feel*.

Reading Hephaestion's needs correctly, Alexander grunted and gave his lover a passionate look. "You are mine," he growled as he executed another deep thrust. "Never doubt that – mine." There had been times when Hephaestion had craved being taken in such a possessive way and Alexander wasn't surprised to find that Hephaestion now needed him in that way. This was Hephaestion's way of convincing himself that he was real – that he was still alive – and he understood Hephaestion perfectly. "Mine!" A throaty growl accompanied his next thrust and Alexander set an almost grueling pace in which the head of his cock ruthlessly battered against Hephaestion's prostate. Their climax would be quick and intense.

Hephaestion met each of Alexander's thrusts and latched onto his lover's neck so he could sink his teeth into the skin there.

Feeling Hephaestion bite him made Alexander growl even harder and he 'punished' his lover by taking him even harder.

Hephaestion reached his climax first. Unable to keep back any longer, he found release with Alexander lodged deep inside him. His eyes widened and he panted hard now that his inner muscles were contracting around his lover's length – it felt divine and it made him feel alive.

Alexander collapsed atop of Hephaestion and pressed him down into the mattress. Putting his remaining strength in his last thrust, he whipped his hips forward and tried to crawl even deeper inside his lover's body, but then the contractions started and forced him toward orgasm. Lifting his head, he gazed deeply into Hephaestion's eyes and claimed his lover's lips in a bruising kiss. He actually tasted his own blood on Hephaestion's lips.

"Alexander…" Hephaestion's voice was nothing more than a whisper when Alexander finally released his lips from his crushing kiss. Alexander's touch had chased away the nightmare, his fears, and the horrible realization that his lover had died all those years ago. Oh, the memories were still there and he would need time to work through them, but now the mourning process could start in a way that would help him heal.

~~~

Bagoas pulled up a chair, sat down, and opened the chest. Looking inside, the first thing he saw was a large amount of letters which Alexander and Hephaestion had written each other throughout the years. He carefully placed them onto the couch and decided not to read any of them – their content was private and meant for Alexander and Hephaestion's eyes only.

Next his fingers encountered something soft and a smile formed on his face as he recalled how good the lion's fur had looked on Alexander whenever the King had worn it. Alexander had killed this lion himself, had thrown his spear into the animal's chest, and had carried away the scars that proved he had personally made the kill. After caressing the fur for a moment, he placed it aside as well.

A lump of emotions formed in his throat as he saw a small oil painting beneath the fur. It showed a young Hephaestion who was smiling in an adoring way. Yes, he remembered this painting very well. Alexander had always tucked it away in his luggage, no matter where the King had gone.

A small jewelry box appeared and Bagoas lifted it from the chest. Opening it, he already knew what he would find inside. This jewelry had belonged to Hephaestion and Alexander had been unable to part from it when his lover had died. Inside, he found five rings, most of them made from silver and precious gems, a gold necklace and the two circlets Alexander had given Hephaestion. Bagoas still remembered Alexander telling him that he had given the first, the golden circlet to Hephaestion just after they had become lovers. The second one had been a gift from Alexander to Hephaestion on the day of his marriage. Both Hephaestion and Alexander had wanted to sire children and that was the sole reason they had gotten married to their wives.

He reverently closed the box and placed it next to the lion's fur. More fabric appeared and he instantly recognized Hephaestion's favorite cloak, made from animals' fur. Alexander had worn it after Hephaestion had died as the cloak had still carried his lover's scent. Bagoas released a deep breath; he finally realized just how deep their love had been – even back then. /Their love was strong enough to find themselves again in this life. It is strong enough to include me, when it would have been so easy to dismiss me. They didn't have to take me in./

Something white beckoned him from deep within the chest and a smile formed on his face as he retrieved the plume of white feathers that had adored Alexander's helmet once. It had made him stand out, had made Alexander a target, and yet, he had always worn it, wanting his men to see that their King was fighting at the front line.

He had almost reached the bottom of the chest, but some items still beckoned him to notice them. One was a sword, which he had seen Alexander wield on occasion. Even after all these years, the blade remained sharp and Bagoas was careful not to cut himself. Another item was a much-used edition of the Iliad and Bagoas vividly remembered the passion with which Alexander had tried to teach him Greek, so he could read the Iliad himself.

The last remaining item was one last letter, which Bagoas respectfully lifted from the bottom of the chest. This was the letter Alexander had inquired about when they had been driving to Troy. This was the letter that held a thick braid of Hephaestion's hair.

Overcome with emotion, Bagoas simply stared at all the items displayed on the couch. He stopped fighting his tears and cried softly.

~~~

Alexander smiled at Hephaestion. The blue eyes were lucid again and the nightmarish memories seemed to have retreated. "How are you feeling?"

"Better, although I still feel a bit shaky." Hephaestion's head rested against Alexander's shoulder and he lifted his head in order to return his lover's questioning gaze. "You making love to me in that way was exactly what I needed." During their first life, Alexander had possessed him many times and he had savored each of those moments. "You seem rather unaffected by our visit."

Alexander shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know how I feel about visiting that tomb and I had you to worry about. I almost suffered a heart attack when you had that break down." Alexander's fingers traced the outline of Hephaestion's bottom lip. "You have no idea just how much I tend to lean on you. You are my strength and when you crumbled… I was afraid I would disappoint you, but I couldn't let you down, so I tried being there for you the best way I could."

"You did well, Alexander." Hephaestion deeply inhaled their mingled, musky scent. "And I feel better."

"We will never go back there, Hephaestion. I promise you that." Alexander continued to study his lover as he wanted to be absolutely sure that Hephaestion had successfully dealt with the shock he had suffered. "We will let the past rest."

"Do you think that is wise?" Hephaestion smiled reassuringly at seeing Alexander's startled expression. "Don't you think the world deserves to know your remains survived?"

"Do you want for them to put me on display in a museum?" The very thought made Alexander cringe.

"Yes, people should be able to look at the face of the greatest conqueror who ever lived. Your legend remains, Alexander. They haven't forgotten about you. Each day historians are busy trying to uncover more facts concerning your life. Can we be so selfish as to keep this knowledge to ourselves? Do we have the right to do that?"

Alexander shook his head. "I can't believe you actually said that!"

"Think about it. You don't have to make a decision right now. Just promise me that you will think about it." In this life time, Hephaestion had primarily been a scholar and as a scholar he knew that the discovery of Alexander's remains would rock the world of many historians. He didn't want to keep this knowledge from them, or the public. The world had a right to know that Alexander's body had withstood the test of time!

"I don't want to think about my corpse right now," Alexander said decisively. "Not after just making love to you." Hephaestion's sudden calm and rational thoughts surprised him. He had thought that his lover would be unbalanced a bit longer, but apparently Hephaestion was already bouncing back. /Thankfully. I wouldn't know what to do without him./

"That felt wonderful – the way you took me." Hephaestion purred and rubbed his cheek against Alexander's shoulder. He sobered a moment later though as Bagoas' absence finally registered with him. "Where's Bagoas?"

"He went into the living room. I guess he knew that we needed a moment alone."

"Then we should join him."

"Are you up to getting out of bed? You were rather unsteady on your feet when we returned home." Alexander watched with concern how Hephaestion freed himself of his embrace and pushed himself upright. "Go slow."

"I am doing much better," Hephaestion replied as he pushed himself to his feet. He swayed, but only for a moment, and then drew in a deep, steadying breath. "I still feel weak."

"You shouldn't overestimate yourself just yet. You suffered one hell of a shock." Alexander joined his lover and together they made their way into the living room where they found Bagoas staring at the items which he had removed from the chest.

"What's all this?" Alexander blinked and then sat down on the couch to study the recovered items. His hands shook as he located the letter that held the braid with Hephaestion's hair. "Oh, look at this."

Bagoas had composed himself again and managed a weak smile. Crying had done him good as it had offered his emotions a way out. He felt at peace with himself and the world and that was such a strong and amazing feeling that it made his heart beat just a little lighter. "Before I forget…" While Alexander and Hephaestion examined the items he had just uncovered from the chest, Bagoas rose from his chair, and collected his coat. "I cut these off when I was inside the tomb." He handed Alexander the three locks of dark-blond hair. "They are yours."

"Is that my hair?" Well, technically it was Alexander the Great's hair.

"I thought you might want to have it." Bagoas still couldn't explain why he had cut the hair off.

"May I…?" Hephaestion's voice drifted off as he reached for one of the strands.

Alexander placed one lock in the palm of Hephaestion's hand. "You are more than entitled to have one."

Hephaestion fingered the strands and tears appeared in his eyes. "I will always treasure this gift."

Alexander wrapped the rest of the hair up with Hephaestion's braid and then sealed them safely inside the letter. Smiling brightly, he picked up one of the circlets and placed it onto Hephaestion's head. "Do you remember the day I gave you this one?"

"It was after we made love for the first time." Hephaestion was amazed that he could still blush because of that memory.

Alexander nodded once and then ran his fingers across the furs of Hephaestion's cloak. "I used your cloak to keep warm in those last few days of my life." Like back then, Alexander now wrapped the furs around his body. "It is amazing that they haven't fallen apart throughout the years."

"Bagoas…" Hephaestion swallowed hard, seeing the still damp eyes. It was obvious that his younger lover had been crying. "Is there nothing…"

Bagoas shook his head. "I rescued these." He uncovered his circlet and the ankle bracelets from a pocket. "Alexander gave these to me…" He put one of the ankle bracelets around his ankle and smiled at the soft, ringing sound the metal made. "I am at peace, Hephaestion. This time it is *you* who needs to heal."

"You are right." Hephaestion rested a hand on Bagoas' shoulder and smiled at him. "You have grown very wise, my love."

"Only thanks to you." Bagoas curled his fingers around Hephaestion's hand, lifted it from his shoulder, and pressed a kiss onto its back. "Only because of you."

TBC

Part 4

The next few days, Hephaestion remained distant and much too quiet as far as Alexander was concerned. No matter how hard Bagoas and Alexander tried to distract him, it just wouldn't work. The haunted, almost dead look would still slip into the normally vivid eyes and remind Alexander of the break down Hephaestion had suffered at his tomb.

Growing restless because of the guilt that now tormented him, Alexander decided it was time for more drastic measures. He couldn't let this continue. He needed to take care of Hephaestion in a way that showed his love and dedication to his lover. Ever since they had been reunited in this life, Hephaestion had been the one to support him – and to support Bagoas as well – and now the tables were turned. Now, Hephaestion needed his lovers to be there for him.

Alexander deemed the time ready to take action, but in order to discuss this in private with Bagoas, he needed a moment alone with the younger man. That meant he had to give Hephaestion a reason to have to leave the room.

Casually, Alexander strolled over to Hephaestion and squatted behind the couch. He rested his arms on top of the couch and studied his lover closely. Peritas, who had been asleep with his head propped up on Hephaestion's thigh, lifted his sleepy eyes to find out why Alexander was disturbing his sleep.

"Why don't I fill up the bath tub for you? Maybe a nice, long, hot soak will do you good?" Alexander ran his fingers through Hephaestion's hair and gave him a charming smile. "What do you think of that?" The look in Hephaestion's eyes told him that he had hit the bull's eye. Hephaestion loved to soak as much as Bagoas did, but seldom indulged himself in that way.

"Sounds good." Hephaestion had been dozing a bit. His system had taken quite a shock the other day and he was still recovering from being confronted with Alexander's remains. Each time he had managed to fall asleep, his dreams had turned into nightmares. In his nightmares, he was back in the tomb and staring at Alexander's face inside the sarcophagus. "I like that." He raised his hand to caress a strand of Alexander's shoulder length hair. He just had to prove to himself that his lover was alive.

"Add some bath oil," Bagoas suggested before adding, "Make him smell of roses."

Alexander chuckled. "Or lilies!" The teasing worked and a smile surfaced on Hephaestion's face. Alexander leaned in to press a chaste kiss onto Hephaestion's brow and then disappeared into the bathroom to fill up the tub. He emerged again a few minutes later. "All is set. Enjoy the soak."

Hephaestion pushed himself to his feet and gave Alexander a peck on the cheek as he passed him by. "Thank you."

Alexander caught him around the middle and kissed him passionately. Claiming Hephaestion in such a passionate way the other day had helped Hephaestion reclaim his sanity, but the ugly memories were still there – lurking just beneath the surface.

"I love you," Hephaestion whispered once Alexander released his lips from the bruising kiss. He needed Alexander the most right now and Bagoas seemed to understand that, as the younger man was giving them the time, privacy, and opportunity to confirm their love again. Hephaestion loved Bagoas even more for being so considerate. It showed just how much Bagoas had changed. He cast a last look filled with longing at Alexander and then stepped into bath room to enjoy a long soak.

Bagoas, who had been watching Alexander with interest, realized something was up and he wondered about his lover's plans. "Alexander? You might think that was subtle, but it wasn't, really." Hephaestion's depressed mood affected him as well and he would do everything he could to help lift it, but he also realized Hephaestion mostly needed time – time, and Alexander's closeness. "Give him the time he needs to mourn your death. Don't rush him."

"I don't plan on rushing him." Alexander made certain that the bathroom door was closed so Hephaestion couldn't hear them before adding, "I want him to have the time he needs to go through the mourning process, but I hate seeing the pain he is in. He is brooding."

"And you want to change that."

"I can try. Do you know of a way to distract him?" Alexander walked up to Bagoas and came to a halt behind the younger man. Looking at the screen of Bagoas' laptop, he saw it showed the tour dates of 30 Seconds to Mars. "Hephaestion mentioned wanting to see that band, didn't he?" From somewhere inside the laptop, the band's music played softly. Alexander even recognized the song. It was called "From Yesterday" and was one of Hephaestion's favorites. He cringed as a picture of a very bald Jared Leto appeared on the screen. "Why did he have to shave off his hair?"

"Because he is working on a new movie." Bagoas sympathized though, he liked the way Jared looked with longer hair better as well. Hephaestion had once accused them of having a hair fetish and he reckoned Hephaestion was right; all three of them had a thing for long hair. Recalling Alexander's question, he checked the tour dates. "They are touring in the United States right now." Bagoas still wasn't looking forward to having to fly again, but he would face his fears for Hephaestion. "I could book some tickets if you want to." Bagoas looked up to study Alexander and watched him nod. They were both doing this for Hephaestion. /I don't really want to fly, and Alexander can do without seeing the band perform./ But they were putting Hephaestion's needs first, as they should.

Alexander thoughtfully nodded his head and continued to study the list with tour dates. "We can do that." Scanning the names of the cities the band would play at, he said, "I don't want to go to a huge place like Los Angeles, though."

"Where would you like to go? Once you know where you want to go, I can check if there are still tickets available." Bagoas remained patient and waited for Alexander to make his decision, but his thoughts drifted off once more. Like Alexander, he felt guilty for not noticing Hephaestion's distress earlier when they had been in that tomb. The two of them had been excited and focused on the find and had forgotten to see what kind of effect seeing Alexander's corpse was having on Hephaestion. /This is also my fault. I should have stopped them./ He should have tried harder to stop them! /But that is nonsense./ Looking at Alexander, he knew, /There is nothing that could have stopped him from visiting his tomb./

"How about Tucson?" Alexander nodded his head again. "Check the venue at Tucson." Yes, this might work. This way, Hephaestion would get to see the band play, and he could start his little scheming. /They don't need to know what I am up yet. If I do this right, I will have my way as well./

"Shouldn't we ask Hephaestion's opinion in this matter?" Bagoas suddenly wondered how Hephaestion would react to finding out that all decisions had been made without him.

"Maybe…" Alexander's gaze shifted from the screen to the bathroom door. Resolutely he made his way over there and entered the bathroom. Bagoas was right – to some extent. He should ask for Hephaestion's opinion, but he would only listen to it if it suited his purposes.

Hephaestion, covered in foam, looked up in surprise. "Alexander?" The warm water hugged his body and had made it easier for him to relax. The tension had left his sore muscles and he now only felt tired – so very tired – and he wanted nothing more than to sleep. He had actually almost dozed off when Alexander had so unexpectedly entered.

Determined to pique Hephaestion's curiosity and to keep him on edge in that way, Alexander stated, "I had an idea." Alexander leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. Oh, he would do anything to be that little piece of foam sliding down Hephaestion's nipple! Damp hair framed Hephaestion's handsome but exhausted-looking face and made him even more desirable in Alexander's eyes. If only he could make the pained expression in those eyes go away!

"You had an idea," Hephaestion repeated, wondering what had gotten into his lover. Thoughts of peaceful slumber had deserted him due Alexander's unexpected arrival jolting him fully awake.

A moment later, Bagoas also appeared, dragging a chair behind him. He placed it next to the bath tub, sat down, opened his laptop, and looked at Alexander. "Tucson it is?" Hephaestion's surprised expression told him that Alexander hadn't updated their lover yet and he patiently waited for Alexander to take charge of the situation.

"Tucson? Why are we speaking about Tucson? Someone please tell me!" What was going on here? Hephaestion blinked and wondered what Alexander had come up with this time. And why were both of them staring at him so expectantly?

"You mentioned wanting to see Jared's band play and they are touring the States right now," Alexander explained, enlightening his lover. "They are also playing at Tucson… We could go there and watch them perform."

This news was utterly unexpected. Yes, he had mentioned that he would like to see them in concert, but as Alexander hadn't shared his enthusiasm, Hephaestion had decided they wouldn't go see them. /They are doing this for me,/ he realized. /They are doing this because they know that I want to go./ Hephaestion's gaze shifted to Bagoas. "But what about you? You are afraid of flying!"

"I will get over it." Bagoas gave Hephaestion a reassuring smile. "We got tickets to their show there," he announced in a proud voice. He had learned a lot since Hephaestion had gotten him his very own laptop and making an online reservation was no longer a problem. "But we will need plane tickets as well."

"Alexander… Bagoas…" Hephaestion shook his head. "You can't just do this!" They had just gotten back from Troy and Hephaestion knew Alexander and Bagoas wanted to stay here – this was their home.

"Why can't we, Hephaestion? Bagoas has his papers now and can fly. We want to go. We already have tickets to the show, so what's the problem?" Alexander studied Hephaestion extensively and then realized something very important about his lover. "Why won't you let us take care of you for a change? What's wrong with putting your needs first for a while? Do you have any idea how much you did for me? For Bagoas? How much we owe you? How much we want to take care of you? Give us this chance to show you just how much we care – just how important you are to us." Hephaestion blushed and seeing that made Alexander smile in turn. "I like it when I can take care of you."

Bagoas added in a thoughtful voice, "It's true, Hephaestion. You don't have to be the strong one the entire time. Sometimes you can lean on us. You made us strong – strong enough to care for you when you need us the most."

Hephaestion's blush deepened further. "I am not used to being cared for in such a way." Alexander might not realize it, but Hephaestion had felt like he had to be the strong one in their first life as well. Alexander might have been King, but Hephaestion had been responsible for the King's sanity. Allowing himself to feel weak – to feel he needed Alexander and Bagoas in turn – was hard on Hephaestion.

"We can't be strong all the time, Hephaestion. Not even you can be strong your entire life. You can let go. We are here to catch you." Sensing Hephaestion's discomfort at being so vulnerable, Bagoas opted for some teasing to lighten the mood. "I reckon even Alexander likes being fussed over at times."

Alexander let the remark go and continued to focus on Hephaestion. "I like taking care of you, you know," he whispered as he ran his fingertips along Hephaestion's jaw line. "This is the first time that I am actually emotionally balanced enough to do that for you." The look Hephaestion gave him spoke of unconditional love and trust, and seeing it, made him smile. He was grateful that he had learned his lessons so well for now he was able to reveal a side of himself he had never known existed. And the best thing was that Hephaestion benefited from his change.

"It is all right if we fly out tomorrow evening?" Bagoas' fingers hovered above the keyboard as he awaited their answer.

"That is fine with me." Alexander was still caressing Hephaestion's face and now his lover leaned into the touch and rubbed his face against the palm of his hand like a big cat. "Get us tickets, Bagoas."

"Done." Bagoas cocked his head. "All we now need is a place to stay." He googled "Tucson and hotels" and came up with a long list of places to stay. "How am I supposed to make a choice here?" He decided to take his time and checked out most of the hotels until he found one he really liked. "Let's see if they still have any vacancies." It was a good thing that they didn't have to worry about the money to finance all of this.

"Why are you doing this?" Hephaestion asked while still rubbing his face against the palm of Alexander's hand. "You didn't want to go the other day."

"I want to go because you want to go." Alexander drew in a deep breath and then added, "I want to see you happy again. I want you to forget… to soften the blow you suffered the other day."

Hephaestion gave Alexander a beatific smile. "You must really love me."

Alexander replied in his very own way by kissing Hephaestion passionately. "You had better believe that."

"Done! Everything has been taken care of! We are flying out tomorrow at six PM." Bagoas closed his laptop and watched Alexander kiss Hephaestion. He didn’t begrudge them the kiss; they needed these moments together.

~~~

"Alexander, I can help!" Frustrated, Hephaestion watched Alexander pack their suit cases. He had offered to help, but had been banned to the couch by both his lovers. They felt he should rest instead of help. "And why are you packing *that*?"

At hearing Hephaestion's odd tone, Bagoas turned his attention away from his laptop and to Alexander. Alexander had removed one of their love letters from the bundle and had placed a lock of blond and auburn hair inside. "Is that your hair?"

"And Hephaestion's." Alexander had divided the thick braid into three thinner ones and one of them he had twirled around a lock of the hair which Bagoas had cut from his corpse.

"Yes, why are you doing that?" Bagoas understood Hephaestion's curiosity. What was Alexander up to? Alexander's change in attitude was remarkable. At first, Alexander hadn't been interested in watching the band play and now Alexander was impatient to leave. Just what was going on in Alexander's head? And did he want to find out?

"You will find out in time, but not just yet." Alexander grinned and stuffed the letter safely between his shirts. Opting for a distraction, he said, "Hephaestion, I have been thinking."

"Oh, the gods helps us… Alexander has been thinking," Bagoas deadpanned.

Hephaestion chuckled and ignored the glare Alexander shot Bagoas at hearing the younger man's words. "What have you been thinking of then, Alexander?"

"I have been thinking about what you said… that historians, scientists and the public have a right to know that my remains survived. Maybe I will let them know where they can find me – well, my remains, that is."

Hephaestion arched an eyebrow. "Are you serious?"

Alexander nodded his head thoughtfully. "Why not?" What had made him reconsider was the fact that the scholars would also find that love letter which he had been holding in his hand during his dying moments. The content of that letter might change the way they perceived the part Hephaestion had played in his life. "But it will happen on my terms."

Alexander and Bagoas exchanged a look and thought exactly the same thing: 'Should we feel very worried?'

~~~

"I hate flying!" Bagoas spat the words and dug his fingernails deeper into the armrest. "How much longer is this going to take?" Alexander and Hephaestion had offered him the window seat in the hope that seeing the earth beneath him would calm him down, but he had declined, feeling much safer seated on the aisle.

"We will touch down in less than one hour. I am so sorry about the turbulence." Hephaestion had long curled his fingers around Bagoas' hand in an effort to soothe the stressed young man. "Usually there isn't that much turbulence. This is an exception."

Alexander, who was seated on the window seat, gave Bagoas a look filled with sympathy. "I am nauseous as well, you know." Maybe it helped if Bagoas knew that he wasn't the only one suffering.

"Thank you," Bagoas replied in a strained voice. "That was just what I needed to hear, Alexander, that you are about to throw up. That makes me feel *so* much better."

"Sorry I said that. I was only trying to help." Alexander curled his fingers tighter around Hephaestion's hand.

Hephaestion, seated in the middle, was once more busy comforting his lovers. Bagoas and Alexander were nervous and each of them had managed to capture one of his hands. He was back in his role of being the strong one – for now. "All will be well," he offered eventually.

Bagoas' jaw set grimly and Alexander stared ahead of him when the plan bounced about again. *Both* of them hated flying now.

~~~

Bagoas fought the urge to fling himself to the ground in a show of utter relief. He wanted to kiss the precious earth now that they had landed. The pilot had even aired an apology for the rocky landing, but also said that it was the best he could do, considering the measure of turbulence.

"A car!" Alexander patted the roof and gave his lovers a brilliant, thankful smile. "No more flying for now."

Hephaestion slipped into the back seat and made himself comfortable while Bagoas sat down next to Alexander. Promptly, Alexander dropped the map in Bagoas' lap and said, "I trust you to not get us lost."

In the back, Hephaestion chuckled. Alexander didn't need to know that he had screwed up reading the map on purpose some months ago. The map reading had distracted Bagoas from what was going on with the police in Athens. The younger man had been stuck with reading the map from that moment on.

"You look better," Alexander remarked, as he peeked at Hephaestion from over his shoulder. Now that Hephaestion had something to look forward to he wasn't that prone to brooding any more.

"I feel a bit excited," Hephaestion replied honestly. He was looking forward to the concert and spending time with his lovers.

Alexander chuckled. "You *do* remember that he is as good as bald these days? Jared, that is?"

"Oh, the hair is already growing back," Bagoas stated. He had seen a recent picture in which Jared was no longer bald. "Turn right at the next junction."

Alexander steered the car in the desired direction and stole another look at Hephaestion using the mirror. It was good to see his lover smiling again. The eyes were no longer that haunted.

~~~

"Lodge on the Desert? You must be joking." The name of the hotel amused Alexander.

"That's it." Bagoas folded the map and tucked it away. "I had to book two rooms, but I doubt we will actually use the second one."

Alexander parked the car, opened the door, and got out, eager to stretch his legs. "It looks all right." He walked over to the trunk, opened it, and removed their suit cases.

The three of them entered the lobby and introduced themselves. They were given the keys to their rooms and made their way over there. Alexander dropped his suit case onto the floor and let himself fall backward onto the bed. "Nice rooms."

Their room was spacious. Dark beams of wood had been worked into the ceiling and the floor sported tiles on one side and carpet on the other. Huge, luxurious beds, complete with white bed linens smelling of lavender, invited them to stretch out and relax. Alexander wondered if the fireplace in the corner of the room actually worked.

Hephaestion sat down next to Alexander and smiled at his lover. "So, are you coming to the gig with us?"

"Of course!" Alexander pushed himself upright and grinned at Hephaestion. "That's one show I don't want to miss."

"Just what are you up to, Alexander?" Bagoas remembered the letter and locks of hair still tucked away between Alexander's shirts. "Just how are you going to share the whereabouts of your tomb with the world?"

"You are much too curious!" Alexander gave Bagoas a wink. "Patience is a virtue."

"I can't believe you said that!" Hephaestion gave Alexander a look full of exasperation. "You are the most impatient person I know!"

Alexander opted for action, instead of more words, and simply attacked Hephaestion's lips. Silencing his lover that way worked pretty well.

~~~

Dinner that evening was a pleasant and lively affair. Dinner was served on the outdoors patio and the fireplace situated at the center had been lit. It now radiated golden, comfortable warmth, which made Hephaestion sigh contently. In the background a group of musicians played traditional songs softly.

"You should eat some more." Alexander raised his fork and pointed it at Hephaestion's plate. "You barely touched your chicken." Alexander himself was already halfway through eating his steak. Even Bagoas had eaten a large part of his smoked salmon.

"I keep wondering why you packed that letter and those strands of hair," Hephaestion replied as he sipped his wine and then forced down another piece of the chicken. It wasn't that he wasn't hungry. It was just that night had fallen and, with the shadow of the night, the memories tried to sneak up on him. That was also the main reason why he had opted for water instead of wine: he didn't want the alcohol to make it easier for the ugly memories to disturb his sleep at night. "I doubt it's because of sentimental reasons."

Alexander chuckled, feeling delighted that curiosity was killing Hephaestion as well as Bagoas. "I won't tell you, so stop asking me!"

Hephaestion sighed and resigned – for now. "So when is the concert?" he asked Bagoas, who looked simply beautiful tonight. Hephaestion had always loved Bagoas' exotic beauty and now that the younger man was once more wearing kohl beneath his eyes and striking clothes of radiant colors, his unique beauty shone even brighter. The bracelets Bagoas was wearing sounded like tiny bells whenever the younger man moved, always attracting his attention.

"Tomorrow night." Bagoas had eaten enough and pushed the plate away from him. Alexander had told them that he wanted to try some desserts and that they should leave room for them. It was a strange thing that he didn't have to watch his diet. Now that he wasn't a eunuch anymore and danced regularly, he was growing muscles. His upper body was already well-toned and his legs had also quickly attained a muscular shape – but never too muscular – he watched that closely. He was a dancer and didn't want to end up looking bulky instead.

"Do you think we will get a chance to talk to him?" Alexander asked out of the blue.

"Talk to Jared Leto?" Hephaestion raised an eyebrow. "I doubt it." His answer seemed to displease Alexander and Hephaestion wondered just what Alexander had wanted to tell Jared Leto.

Alexander grew quiet after that, unwilling to give away more of his plans. He checked the dessert menu instead. Tonight, he was going to indulge himself with some chocolate ice cream!

~~~

The following day passed by rather quickly. Alexander insisted they went sightseeing and his lovers gave in. First, Alexander dragged them to see the Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch, which was quite a surprise. Neither Hephaestion nor Bagoas had expected they would be called upon to feed the ostriches and the deer. One of them, a particularly cheeky ostrich, actually managed to bite Alexander in his butt and that concluded the fun. Alexander had pouted and demanded they leave. Hephaestion and Bagoas, doubled over in laughter, had given in and had teased the poor Alexander for the rest of the day with the unwanted 'love nibble'.

Alexander had done his best to ignore them and had managed to do so quite successfully until Bagoas tried to repeat the little love bite. Alexander swatted him on the ass as repercussion. That got Bagoas’ attention and to Alexander's great delight, the teasing stopped – for about five minutes. Then Hephaestion made his move and tried to bite his buttock.

Once they had all calmed down from their laughter, it was Bagoas who suggested they go to the Botanical Gardens, judging them a much safer place than the ostrich farm, but after spending a little over an hour there, Alexander got restless and demanded to see something other than flowers. He could put flowers in a vase and look at them if he wanted to admire them. Why would anyone spend hours looking at them?

Hephaestion restored the peace and, after another hour of Alexander's moping and Bagoas' delighted gasps, they left the Botanical Gardens to grab a bite to eat.

"I am sorry for ruining your day," Alexander said, repenting his behavior at the gardens. "We can go back and watch some more flowers if you want to." He had seen Bagoas' eyes light up when they had wandered through the gardens and he now felt like a bastard for ruining the visit.

But Bagoas seemed extremely forgiving and Alexander found out why the next moment. "You want to go where?"

"Tucson Mall. I need to do some shopping." Bagoas gave Alexander his sweetest smile. "We are going out tonight, Alexander. We should make an effort to look our best. You could do with some new clothes as well, and so can you, Hephaestion."

Hephaestion arched an eyebrow. "Bagoas?" The younger man was growing more confident with each day. "Are you saying there is something wrong with the way I dress?"

Bagoas quickly shook his head. "Not wrong, but you can do better."

"Do I really have to go and shop?" Alexander cringed. This was even worse than staring at flowers for hours!

"Yes, we do. You want to draw Jared Leto's attention, don't you? Then you have to look your best." Oh, Bagoas knew exactly how to wind them around his little finger.

"He is right," Hephaestion admitted thoughtfully.

Alexander shook his head and raised his arms to the heavens. "What did I do to deserve this? Give me an army instead! Give me war!"

Bagoas and Hephaestion chuckled – yes, Alexander was going shopping with them!

~~~

"Sit down here." Bagoas had already dressed and was ready to leave, but he still wasn't satisfied with Hephaestion's looks.

Hephaestion sat obediently down in front of the mirror and resigned himself to being fussed over by Bagoas – who, he had to admit, looked good enough to eat. Bagoas' raven hair danced against the silken shirt he was wearing. Bagoas had taken his time selecting it and the dark brown color made his eyes stand out even more, underlined with kohl as they were. Tight jeans and a long brown coat completed the outfit.

Bagoas smiled, sensing Hephaestion's eyes upon him. He could easily tell by the look Hephaestion was giving him that his lover liked what he was seeing. "Now hold still." Bagoas applied the kohl beneath Hephaestion's eyes and then admired his handiwork. "That's definitely an improvement."

Hephaestion had humored him at the mall and had allowed him to choose tonight's outfit. Bagoas felt he had chosen well. He had decided on an all-grey outfit for Hephaestion and the dark and lighter colors created an interesting mix. The long coat he had selected for Hephaestion was made from wool and molded itself to Hephaestion's form. He brushed the auburn hair for a long time until it began to curl a bit and then applied some gel to get the strands in the desired position. "That's it."

Hephaestion released the breath he had been holding. He had to admit that Bagoas had done a good job – he looked good. "Thanks," he said before claiming Bagoas' right hand to press a kiss onto its back. That left Alexander, who was still getting ready for their night out.

The bathroom door opened and Alexander stepped inside the room. He didn't feel comfortable wearing these clothes, but Bagoas had assured him that they looked good on him.

"That color really suits you. I didn't think it would." Hephaestion got to his feet and made his way over to Alexander, who shuffled his feet, betraying his discomfort. The burgundy shirt, made from silk, gave Alexander a warm and passionate look. "You even tried to do your hair."

Alexander snorted and shrugged his shoulders. "I got almost all the tangles out."

"Bagoas?" Hephaestion gave Bagoas a meaningful look and then guided Alexander to the seat he had just vacated. "Sit down."

Bagoas picked up his brush and straightened out the last tangles. "You don't seem comfortable, Alexander."

"I need to get used to the fabric." The shirt caressed his skin and his nipples had been erect ever since he had put it on. Alexander patiently endured the torture Bagoas subjected him to and watched how his hair began to behave under his lover's ministrations.

"Here." Hephaestion handed Alexander his jacket.

Alexander waited for Bagoas to hum his approval and, when the younger man finally let him go, Alexander draped the black jacket over his shoulders. He caught a glimpse of all three of them in the mirror and smiled. "I am very blessed to have the two of you." The three of them looked good together, and either together or apart, they would stand out in a crowd. "Methinks Jared Leto will notice us."

Hephaestion gave his lover a long, hard look. Why was Alexander so worried if Jared noticed them or not? He had the feeling that he was in for a few surprises tonight and for some reason that thought worried him.

TBC


Part 5

They got inside surprisingly fast and easy. All three of them had expected to be facing a much bigger crowd, but the venue was only filling up slowly. Like Alexander had predicted, they stood out, as the largest group present existed of young girls. "I feel like I am in the wrong place," Alexander remarked as he moved them toward a group of men standing near the stage.

"Jared is handsome," Bagoas replied, musing aloud. "I can understand why the band mostly attracts young women." And in turn, the three of them were also attracting attention. "They seem to like us as well." He was losing count of the many 'meaningful' looks he was getting.

Hephaestion raised his head and checked out the stage instead, which featured a huge white backdrop with "30 seconds to Mars" written on it. "How much longer before the show starts?"

"We are early," Bagoas told him. "About thirty minutes." He then turned and faced Alexander. "This seems a good moment to tell us what you are up to. I saw you slip that letter into your pocket, Alexander."

"You have been watching me, have you?" Alexander looked predatorily at Bagoas. "Just be patient a little longer."

Hephaestion had long given up on trying to change Alexander's mind and changed their subject. "Bagoas, what do you know about the band?" It was amazing, he mused. Ever since Bagoas had gotten his own laptop, the young man had been researching a lot of things, this band being one of them.

Bagoas cocked his head and ignored the hungry look one of the girls was giving him. "I know that Jared's brother Shannon plays the drums and that their guitarist is called Tomo… Don't ask me about the last name, I can't pronounce it. Their bassist, Matt Wachter completes the line-up."

"And then there is Jared, of course," Alexander said, giving Hephaestion a wink. "Come on, admit it! You want to meet with him too!"

"Contrary to you, my Alexander, I know that there is only a small chance that we will get a shot at talking to him. Why are you this obsessed with getting into touch with him?" Hephaestion kept in mind that Alexander had brought the letter and could draw only one conclusion that made sense. "You are going to give it to him, aren't you? But why?"

Alexander cocked his head and his hair danced against his shoulders – a few strands even teased his face. "You are too smart for your own good, my beloved Hephaestion." He ran a fingertip along Hephaestion's jaw in a teasing manner. "Trust me, Jared will notice us." And then he *would* get his chance of slipping Jared the letter.

~~~

The show finally started and Alexander regretted being as enthusiastic as to take up position at the front of the crowd. They were standing in front of the speakers and were about to be blasted away. He moved away from the stage and found that his lovers were following him. In the end, they found a nice place from where they could watch the show.

"It's an eternal pity that he cut off his hair." Alexander sighed. "I have seen a large number of pictures of him by now, but he looked best during his time as Hephaestion."

Hephaestion agreed. "You're right." Looking at Bagoas, he asked, "What do you think?"

"The hair will grow." Bagoas smiled absentmindedly. "The shape of his face is nice, his eyes are gorgeous, and he has a very sensual voice."

Hephaestion's eyes widened a bit. Could it be that Bagoas was more smitten with Jared than their lover wanted them to know? "You don't mind the short hair?"

"It will grow again," Bagoas repeated, stubbornly.

They listened to the rest of the songs and enjoyed the show, especially when Jared left the stage and moved among the crowd. Hephaestion felt Alexander tense up and wondered if this was it. Was Alexander going to slip Jared the letter now? But Jared didn't come close enough and then returned to the stage. Disappointment shone from Alexander's face and Hephaestion squeezed his lover's hand in an effort to comfort him.

The band then started to play ‘From Yesterday’ and Alexander grinned, hearing Hephaestion softly sing along. He was glad that he had made the decision to see them play, for their performance had returned a certain gleam to his lover's amazing eyes. And with the realization that Hephaestion was happy, the fact that he had wanted to slip Jared that letter became less important. He set his scheming inside and simply savored seeing Hephaestion so happy.

~~~

"They played a good show." Bagoas leaned back in his chair and nursed his tea. They had sought out a bar, which was located near the venue where the band had performed, to get a drink before starting their way back to their hotel. "Jared has an excellent voice."

Alexander had been staring into his beer, but looked up when he noticed the commotion near the entrance. His eyes narrowed in concentration when he saw who had just entered – it was Jared, along with his brother Shannon. Would he get his chance after all?

"Alexander?" Hephaestion leaned in closer as he had grown worried seeing Alexander's sudden distant look. "What's wrong?" He followed the direction of Alexander's stare and found Jared and Shannon seating themselves at a neighboring table.

Bagoas had also noticed the new arrivals and shifted on his chair so he had a better view. "Alexander, you might get your chance after all." Bagoas blinked, realizing he was being stared at in turn by Jared Leto. "Or maybe I will?"

Alexander wasted no time and adjusted his plan to this new situation. "Bagoas, I want you to slip him this letter and to tell him something."

Bagoas didn't break eye contact with Jared when he asked, "Tell him what?"

Alexander leaned in closer and whispered the words into Bagoas' ear. He would prefer to do this himself, but it looked like Bagoas had captured Jared's attention instead.

Hephaestion had moved his chair into the shadows, so his face was shrouded in darkness. He watched the two brothers as well, but didn't try to establish eye contact. It would have been nice to talk to Jared about the role he had played in Oliver Stone's film, but he wasn't going to impose himself.

Bagoas unexpectedly rose from his chair and Hephaestion frowned at the sudden movement. While Bagoas made his way over to Jared, Alexander got to his feet, and Hephaestion suddenly felt himself being pulled to his feet. "Alexander?"

"We are leaving."

"But I thought…" Hephaestion felt perplexed. "I thought you wanted to talk to him?"

"I never did. I merely wanted to make Jared curious and now Bagoas is going to carry out my plan. We should leave now." For one long moment, Alexander caught Jared's gaze and he saw the surprise in those alluring eyes, which reminded him of Hephaestion's. /He can't possibly have recognized me. He doesn't know who I am./ But Jared was still staring at him… but then the gaze shifted and Jared was now staring at Hephaestion.

Hephaestion's heart missed a beat, finally establishing some sort of contact. He smiled tenderly, nodded his head once, and then quickly followed Alexander toward the exit. Bagoas, in the meantime, made his way over to Jared's table and was now leaning forward to deliver Alexander's message.

~~~

Jared felt seldom impressed, but staring into those deep brown eyes made his heart miss a beat. The young man – younger than he was, he reckoned – looked terribly exotic and Jared had a hard time directing his gaze away from him. But he didn't want to be caught staring. He managed to shift his gaze to the right and sucked in his breath, staring at a face with extremely powerful features. Blond hair, brown eyes, and a very determined facial expression made him tense slightly. Realizing there was a third man seated at that table, he tried to pierce the shadows with his gaze, but failed. It wasn't until the three men rose from their chairs that he got his first look of a pair of incredible cerulean eyes. The depth of emotion, wisdom, and understanding that stared back at him made Jared realize that he had happened upon a very unique man.

"Jared?" Shannon elbowed his brother in an attempt to get his attention. The waitress wanted to take their order and Jared just wasn't reacting. In the end, Shannon ordered for his brother as well.

Jared only had eyes for the dark-haired beauty that now walked toward him. The eyes, underlined with kohl, seemed to search his soul and Jared's hands grew clammy due to some emotion which he couldn't label.

Suddenly, the other man stood next to him, leaned in closer, and was then whispering into his ear.

"This is a message from the past, meant for the future. Treat it with respect, my lovely one." Bagoas took hold of Jared's hand and curled the fingers around Alexander's letter. "You have no idea yet just how precious the gift is you are receiving, but if you are determined to find out, you will." Bagoas caressed Jared's face with a fingertip and then stepped away from the two brothers.

Jared blinked, feeling rather dazed. He could still smell the other man's sweet scent and he finally became aware of the paper edged between his fingers.

"Hey, what was that about?" Shannon frowned at seeing his brother's dazed expression.

"I have no idea." Jared blinked in order to clear the cobwebs from his head and then stared at the letter in his hand. Strands of blond and auburn hair peeked out from between the sheets of paper. What had happened just now?

Jared unfolded the paper and caught the locks of hair when they threatened to fall onto the floor. Some instinct made him tightly curl his fingers around them so they couldn't escape again.

"What kind of language is that?" Shannon frowned; the strange writing seemed to dance in front of his eyes.

"Ancient Greek." During his filming of Alexander he had seen a few examples of Greek writing and he recognized it now. But there was more than just the hair and the Greek words. There was a second, smaller piece of paper hidden away between the folds of the first letter.

# I want you to have this. If you care enough to have the letter translated, and understand what I am trying to tell you then fly to Athens, call 06246907256, and I will take care of the rest. Only call if you know what you are about to get involved with…

Alexander #

Shannon's frown deepened as he had read the message as well. "This is some nut case who is obsessed with you playing Hephaestion. You'd better throw it away."

But Jared didn't throw it away. He tucked the paper and strands of hair safely into a pocket and then sat back, thinking… thinking hard.

~~~

"Alexander, you owe me an explanation." They had returned to their hotel room and Hephaestion circled Alexander like he would a prisoner whom he was about to interrogate. "What *are* you up to?"

Bagoas watched the scene unfold with amusement. He had installed himself on one of the king-sized beds, naked as the day he had been born, and wondered who would win the battle of wills which was about to follow.

"If he is interested in finding out the truth, he will have to put some effort into it. If he does, he will eventually find us." Alexander knew he had to tread careful now that Hephaestion was giving him *that* look. His lover meant business.

Hephaestion came to a halt in front of Alexander and gave him a long, thoughtful look. "Tell me everything."

Alexander finally came clean and told Hephaestion about the message he had written Jared.

"You gave him your cell phone number?" Hephaestion shook his head in disbelief. "How could you do that?"

"I want him to contact us!" Alexander had had enough and glared back at his lover. "Hephaestion, he probably doesn't believe we are for real! Why are you overreacting?"

Hephaestion drew in a deep breath and counted to ten. "Alexander, my sweet, rash, stupid Alexander… You added an authentic letter to your message and strands of our hair. If Jared takes this serious – and the gods forbid that he does – then he will take those items to a scientist, who will date the letter and explain to Jared that he has uncovered a treasure. And what do you think will happen then? Do you really think Jared will settle for following your instructions and call you?" Had Alexander any idea what he had done?

"Hephaestion, don't take this so seriously," Bagoas said, stretching his body in a feline way. "Jared probably thinks this is one big joke."

"I hope he won't throw away that letter – or the hair." Alexander already regretted his scheming. He hadn't thought this through. "Are you very angry with me?" He peeked at Hephaestion and gave his lover his most pleading look. "I am sorry."

Hephaestion couldn't stay upset with Alexander now that his lover had admitted he had done something wrong. He opened his arms and pulled Alexander close. "Just don't do such a stupid thing again, Alexander."

"I am sorry that I gave away a lock of your hair," Alexander said in a tiny voice. "At least I kept most of the braid at home."

"Alexander… Hephaestion…" Bagoas had moved into a kneeling position on the bed and raised his hands invitingly. "Stop arguing and join me in bed." He knew he oozed sexuality and made good use of it. "Come over here."

Hephaestion knew when he was beaten and sat down on the side of the bed, pulling Alexander with him. "Don't worry about it, Bagoas. I can never stay cross with Alexander for long." The look Bagoas gave him was full of seduction and the heat he was feeling rose to Hephaestion's face. To see Bagoas like this, fully aware of his sensuality, was something he had never witnessed before. Alexander might have seen it during their first life time, but it was new for him. "What are you doing?" he whispered, sounding rather puzzled.

"I am taking off your clothes, Hephaestion. I want to see you naked. I want to feel your skin against mine." Bagoas sensually whispered the words in his lover's ear and planted a firm kiss on Hephaestion's lips while slipping his shirt down. Feeling Hephaestion's skin beneath his fingertips made them tingle and he exchanged a meaningful look with Alexander. Was Alexander able to read his intentions where Hephaestion was considered?

Alexander had a fairly good idea what Bagoas' plans were and pressed against Hephaestion from behind. He slipped his arms around Hephaestion's waist and then unzipped his lover's trousers. A pleased and amused sparkle appeared in Bagoas' eyes and the younger man nodded his head approvingly.

Hephaestion experienced something that could only be labeled as sensual overload. Bagoas was in front of him, still kneeling on the bed, and his lover was now pulling him closer. In the meantime, Alexander rubbed himself against him from behind, and his lover's hands were busy pulling down his trousers.

Bagoas and Alexander maintained eye contact and it helped them maneuver Hephaestion onto the bed while Alexander did away with Hephaestion's restrictive trousers and underwear.

Hephaestion found himself naked and with Bagoas' arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him onto the bed until he was also kneeling on the mattress. Bagoas' sensual eyes and the dark hair called to him and, feeling helpless to resist this temptation, he buried his fingers in the raven mane. Bagoas carried a scent he hadn't smelled before and he wondered what it was. It was heavy and musky and that fragrance made him horny as hell.

Alexander had realized some time ago that he liked to watch his lovers touch and so he pulled a chair closer to the bed, unzipped his slacks, and sat down on the chair stroking his cock.

Amused, Bagoas saw Alexander get comfortable. He hadn't realized until now that Alexander was a voyeur, but this fact gave him the chance he had hoped for – he had wanted Hephaestion for himself for a while, and it looked like his wish was about to be granted. "You are so beautiful, Hephaestion, so strong," he whispered as he slid his hands down his lover's chest. The expression in the blue eyes undid him, and Bagoas moaned wantonly, voicing his need. He nipped at Hephaestion's bottom lip, dragged his hand along his lover's erection, and then began a slow stroking motion.

Hephaestion sucked in his breath sharply. Bagoas had never looked like this before – like liquid sex, and the desire -- no lust – that shone from those brown eyes took him aback. "You are the beautiful one here."

Bagoas chuckled softly and decided this wasn't worth fighting over – not when they could be doing much more delicious things. "Lie down, my love."

Before Hephaestion knew what was happening, Bagoas had pushed him onto his back. The raven vision now hovered above him and strands of long hair danced against his chest. "What are you doing to me?"

Bagoas moved his head just a little, so the ends of his hair teased Hephaestion's nipples into hardness. Yes, this was the first time that Hephaestion saw this side of him, but Bagoas felt confident that his lover would grow used to it. Ever since he had accepted the older Bagoas as a part of him, he had also become more agreeable to the eunuch's character traits and the truth was that Bagoas had liked turning Alexander on in the past. The same thing now applied where Hephaestion was concerned. "I am trying to make you feel good." Bagoas gave Hephaestion a wicked smile and then moved down the trembling body until he reached his lover's groin. Hephaestion was hard and the head of his member glistered with pre-ejaculate.

Hephaestion gasped for breath now that Bagoas boldly swallowed his cock. "Ba…" He had wanted to stop Bagoas, to tell him that he didn't have to do this. He was still afraid that such an act would bring back bad memories for Bagoas, but the strong suction that his cock was now subjected to was making it impossible for him to think, let alone speak, and he thrust into that sweet mouth, unable to keep himself in check.

Alexander, who had been stroking himself, now stopped. He was too close to coming and didn't want to find release just yet. Instead, he simply watched the raven head bob and Hephaestion thrust. The two of them looked good together.

Hephaestion's head lolled from right to left and his fingers clawed at the sheet. "Bagoas, I…" He was about to come and didn't think Bagoas was ready to swallow. He still thought of his younger lover as damaged by the abuse he had suffered and therefore fragile.

Bagoas' thoughts however differed hugely from Hephaestion's. Yes, he pulled away, but only to reach for the lubricant. Hephaestion's uncontrolled thrusts and trembling had told him that his lover was close to finding release and that had made him stop stimulating Hephaestion for now. He wanted Hephaestion to find release in another way. "Roll onto your stomach for me," he ordered in the most seductive voice he could muster and, as he whispered the words into Hephaestion's ear, he also licked the arch and finished by nibbling on the earlobe.

His trembling increased now that he knew what Bagoas' plans for him were and Hephaestion did as he was told and rolled onto his stomach. He parted his legs somewhat and sighed deeply into the pillow when Bagoas coated his passage with the cool lubricant.

Once he was satisfied that his lover was sufficiently prepared, Bagoas looked at Alexander from over his shoulder and nodded his head once, hoping that Alexander caught on.

Alexander was already in the process of removing his clothes. He was ready to take part in their lovemaking and had ideas of his own on how to do that. A sharp yelp, coming from Hephaestion, stilled his movements and, enraptured, he watched Hephaestion tremble beneath Bagoas the moment the younger man took possession of him.

Hephaestion's muffled yelp disappeared somewhat into the pillow, but then he used his considerable strength to push himself onto all fours.

Bagoas' breath caught, as he watched Hephaestion push himself onto his hands and knees and adjusted to the new position. He was already halfway inside his lover's body and, after shifting closer, he also slid in the rest of the way. "You are tight, my love… You make me feel so good." He placed his hands on Hephaestion's buttocks and massaged them.

Hephaestion felt like he was going crazy now that Bagoas was inside him but not moving. "Please thrust!" Bagoas had prepared him well; there had been no pain, no discomfort, only desire and lust and now he tried his best to move his hips in order for Bagoas' cock to rub against his prostate, but the trick wasn't working.

"Someone once said that patience is a virtue," Bagoas whispered, squeezing Hephaestion's buttocks in a teasing way. Well aware of the fact that he couldn't allow Hephaestion's erection to falter, he reached below his lover's stomach and curled his fingers around the slippery cock.

The touch brought Hephaestion pleasure and disappointment, for he had hoped that Bagoas would stroke his cock, but the fingers stayed in place, keeping him on the edge.

Alexander had reached for the tube Bagoas had discarded and had coated his cock with the lubricant. He now knelt on the bed behind Bagoas and pressed close so the younger man felt his hardness pressed against his buttocks. "Is this what you want?" One of his fingers already reached for the opening to Bagoas' body and then slipped inside. He had used plenty of lubricant, always keeping in mind that Bagoas had already suffered too much pain in his lives.

Bagoas moaned and quivered at Alexander's touch. "Yes…" Leaning in closer, he rested his upper body on Hephaestion's back and wrapped his arm around Hephaestion for support. His head rested close to Hephaestion's ear and strands of the auburn hair caressed his face. "Hephaestion, I count on you being the strong one right now." He doubted he could muster the strength to keep them upright once Alexander started thrusting.

Hephaestion finally realized what was about to happen and turned his head so he could look Bagoas in the eye. "You hardly weigh a thing, love."

Alexander had removed his fingers and now spread the firm mounds of flesh to bare the tiny opening to his eyes. Squeezing more lubricant onto his cock, he moved closer still. Alexander wrapped his fingers around his shaft, positioned himself at the opening, and then entered Bagoas.

Moaning now that the pressure was intensifying, Hephaestion realized that their lovemaking had started for real and that Alexander was sheathing himself inside Bagoas.

Alexander rested one hand at the small of Bagoas' back and slipped the other toward his lover's neck. Once he had a good hold on Bagoas, he pushed deeper inside until he was buried to the balls. "Bagoas…" He whispered the name in surprise and gratitude: surprised that Bagoas took him so easily and gratitude because Bagoas trusted him so much to surrender in such a beautiful way. Alexander vowed that he would never betray that trust and he stilled his movements, giving both of his lovers a chance to grow used to the new situation.

Hephaestion had flexed his muscles and carried Bagoas' weight, which was draped atop of him. Now that Alexander had fully claimed Bagoas, the younger man's cock in turn was also pushed deeper into his channel and the tip of that hard flesh now rested against his prostate, causing a delightful sensation in the pit of his stomach. "Thrust, Alexander!"

Alexander chuckled and, due to the movement, his cock twitched inside Bagoas' passage. Bagoas groaned and bit his bottom lip as his prostate was teased in turn. Alexander heard that sound and wanted nothing more than to hear Bagoas groan louder. "Like this?" He almost pulled out and then slid home again. His lovers' reactions were instant: they trembled and moans tumbled from their lips. "Or this?" This time his thrust was a little more aggressive and Bagoas' reaction was to hold onto Hephaestion for support.

Alexander, who was growing into his part, said, "I love seeing the two of you at my mercy." Thrusting again, he slid one hand up the curve of Bagoas' spine and buried his fingers in the black strands. He kept his touch light and never pulled at the hair, but he did put enough pressure on Bagoas' mane to make the younger man aware of just how much they were at his mercy. "You look so needy, so wanton – so damn sexy."

Bagoas quivered and was driven even deeper into Hephaestion's passage with Alexander's next thrust. When he had started this, he had hoped that they would be able to take this to the next level. All three of them were now confident in their relationship and they understood each other, their needs, and their fears.

Alexander finally got fed up with taking them slowly and sped up his thrusts. His hands now encircled Bagoas' waist and he kept his lover in place, so he could aim each of his strokes at Bagoas' prostate.

Bagoas came first. Unable to withstand the dual sensation for long, he buried his face in Hephaestion's hair at the moment of his climax.

Hephaestion yelped helplessly now that Bagoas' seed flooded his insides. "Bagoas, I need…"

Bagoas, although in the throes of his climax, heard his lover's pleading tone and finally stroked Hephaestion's member – firmly and insistently. A few seconds later, his manipulation resulted in Hephaestion reaching orgasm in turn and the contractions around his member started. Hephaestion managed to milk the last drops of seed from his already softening member and Bagoas moaned pitifully now that Alexander continued to thrust in pursuit of his own orgasm.

Alexander loved seeing Bagoas and Hephaestion abandoned to his thrusts. Hephaestion was about to go down, unable to stay on all fours for much longer and Alexander actually hoped that his lover would crumble. Hephaestion suddenly collapsed and slid onto his stomach, taking Bagoas, who was still inside of him, down with him. Alexander had expected for this to happen and followed suit. Taking them in this position felt even more sublime and he let go of any restraints, fears and doubts he might have had.

Bagoas bit his bottom lip, drawing a tiny droplet of blood and surrendered to the wonderful feeling of having Alexander possess him so completely. "Yes, have me… have me every way you want… Harder… Harder, Alexander…"

Hearing those words was Alexander's undoing and they catapulted him toward orgasm. He whipped his hips forward and, once he was buried to the balls inside of Bagoas' passage, he let go. His seed erupted from the head and filled Bagoas from the inside. "Mine… both of you are mine." In order to stake his claim, he sucked the skin of Bagoas' throat hard, leaving a passion mark which would remain visible for days. "Mine!"

Bagoas was about to faint due to the intensity of their lovemaking. Being stuck in the middle gave him no room to move and he had a hard time drawing in his next breath. As a result he had grown light-headed.

Alexander howled victoriously as he filled Bagoas with his seed. "Mine!" His euphoria lasted another minute and then he slowly came down from the adrenaline rush, finally realizing the awkward positions his lovers were in. Once he had sufficiently softened, he slowly pulled out, and drops of seed followed him on the way out, dripping onto Bagoas' buttocks.

Realizing he was the only one who was still moving, Alexander took it upon himself to care for his lovers, whom *he* had exhausted. He pushed his hands below Bagoas' now still form and rolled the younger man off of Hephaestion's back and onto his side. "Bagoas?" He frowned, as Bagoas had closed his eyes and the younger man's breathing was labored.

"Just give me a moment… to catch… my breath." That had been intense! His head reeled and heaviness settled inside his bones. He simply didn't want to move right now – not even open his eyes.

Alexander grinned impishly and then moved on to Hephaestion. Rolling him onto his side as well, he found the eyes open, but the pupils were dilated and the irises had darkened. They were almost violet now and that sensation made Alexander stare at Hephaestion in adoration. "You loved that." He had seen the color change before, but it only happened when Hephaestion was completely sated.

"I did. I love it when the three of us make love. It's so powerful," Hephaestion murmured in a heavy, sleepy voice. "And there was no honey," he added teasingly.

Alexander smiled. "We are not using the honey ever again." Alexander continued to smile, recalling the sticky situation they had found themselves in when they had used the honey. Hephaestion's violet eyes had closed and that told him just how much they had worn Hephaestion down. "And all you can think of right now is sleep, so why don't you close your eyes and give in?" Alexander chuckled and ran his hands along his lovers' flanks. It appeared he was the only one who their lovemaking had left invigorated. "I will clean us up and you can doze off while I do just that."

Knowing he had to be quick, Alexander left the bed, fetched water, washing clothes and towels, and set about cleaning them up.

Once all three of them had been cleaned up, Alexander stretched out between them. He pulled Hephaestion close and his lover cuddled up to him on his right side. Bagoas made himself comfortable on his left and rested his head on Alexander's chest. Alexander had wrapped his arms around their waists and smiled contentedly at the ceiling. It wasn't long before Bagoas' and Hephaestion's breathing evened out and then deepened, which was a sure sign that they had fallen asleep.

Alexander, however, stayed awake a little longer and thanked the gods for reuniting them in this life time. This was what he had always wanted: to be happy. In his first life, he had made the mistake of thinking that becoming the King of Asia would fulfill him. Back then, he hadn't seen the true treasure that would fulfill him, but now he did.

TBC

Part 6

"Hello, Jared, it is nice to see you again. So how have you been?" Laeta was the expert who Oliver Stone had contracted to guide them during the filming of 'Alexander' and the Greek professor had taught them a lot about Alexander the Great and the life he had led. Jared's phone call had surprised him and he had given in to his curiosity and told Jared to come over when the American actor had mentioned having come into possession of an authentic looking letter.

"I am fine… Always busy, though." He had three weeks off until the band's next show and had flown out to Athens to see Laeta. During the movie shoot, he had heavily relied on Laeta's knowledge of ancient Greece, and Alexander and Hephaestion in particular. World-wide, Laeta was the leading expert when it came down to Alexander the Great. "Thanks for seeing me on such short notice."

"I rescheduled the class which I should be teaching right now. So what is the emergency?" Laeta gestured for Jared to seat himself opposite his desk and steepled his fingers. His glasses slipped slightly down his nose, giving him a hard and stern look, but Jared knew better than that.

"I was given this two months ago and I have been wondering about it ever since." Before coming here, Jared had removed the note written in English and he now handed the black-haired and tanned professor the Greek letter and the locks of hair. "I want to know what it says."

Laeta unfolded the letter and frowned at seeing the twined locks of hair. "It looks authentic, but I would have to do some tests to find out if it's real or a fake. I also need a day or two for the translation." The paper felt old between his fingers, but he knew forgers had long learned to make excellent fakes. "Why don't you see me again the day after tomorrow? We will do lunch."

Jared felt relieved now that Laeta had agreed to check on the letter. "Sure, just let me know when and where." He reached for a piece of paper on Laeta's desk and scribbled down the address and phone number of the hotel he was staying in. "Thanks for doing this for me."

"I owe you for portraying Hephaestion the way you did. You played him well." Laeta rose from his chair following Jared's example and shook his friend's hand. The letter looked intriguing and he wanted to get started on it.

~~~

Jared stretched out on his bed and stared at the news bulletin on the TV. A part of him still couldn't believe that he had flown out here to have that letter examined. Shannon had declared him insane when he had announced his intentions to go to Athens and ask Laeta to check on the letter.

So why had he come here? He wasn't quite certain. Yes, the writing looked intriguing and he was curious to learn what Laeta would discover about the strands of hair – that was, if there was something to find.

No, it had been those brown, gentle eyes which had made him place the call to Laeta. Those large, deer-like eyes and the sensual voice which belonged to the stranger who had slipped him that letter in Tucson. Who was he? And would he get a chance to speak with him again? For some reason, those eyes appeared in his dreams and he woke to the sound of that exotic voice. And then there were the other two men. He had seen all three of them leave together, so he reckoned they belonged together. Those vivid blue eyes that had looked at him from out of the shadows had also impressed him, just like the strong features the blond man's face had possessed. There was a mystery there and he wanted to unravel it.

~~~

The first thing Jared noticed when he sat down opposite Laeta in the comfortable, small restaurant was the feverish expression in the almost black eyes. Frowning, he studied his friend. What had gotten him all riled up?

"Jared, who gave you that letter?" Laeta leaned in closer, dying to hear the answer. Maybe there were more facts to discover, more historic evidence to uncover.

"I was touring in Tucson when a dark-haired man walked up to me. He said something like 'this is a message from the past meant for the future' and slipped me the letter." Laeta's excitement was still growing and the professor was now moving restlessly on his chair. "Why are you asking?"

"Jared, the letter is real – it's authentic. It was written over two thousand years ago by Alexander the Great and it was addressed to Hephaestion. Do you realize that this is the first *very real* evidence we found that proves the two of them were lovers? It is a love letter, you know. Alexander speaks of his undying love for Hephaestion and even mentions more intimate details, like holding and kissing him. So far, all we had were hints!"

Jared's eyes had widened during Laeta's speech. "Are you certain that it's real? How can that be? Maybe it’s just a very good forgery?"

"Trust me, when I found out what I was dealing with, I asked several colleagues of mine to have a look and they confirmed my findings – it's real. Do you have any idea how important this letter is? We will have to rewrite history and we can finally give Hephaestion the place he so deserves – at Alexander's side as his mate."

Jared leaned back into the comfort of his chair. His head spun with all the things Laeta had said. "Did you bring it with you?"

Laeta uncovered the letter and placed it on the table with obvious respect. "Would you consider donating it to the museum? Mankind deserves to know the truth. They deserve to know how deep Alexander's love for Hephaestion ran."

Jared ignored the question for now as he wanted one more answer. "What about the hair?"

"I can't say much for certain. It is old, just as old as the letter, but I can't tell you whom it belonged to." Laeta shrugged his shoulders. "One might consider the possibility that it's Alexander's and Hephaestion's, but we have no way to verify that."

Jared took the strands into his hand and rubbed the hair with his fingertips. "Did you translate the letter for me?"

Laeta produced the translation and placed the document on the table. "Jared, you have no idea just how important this letter is. Let us have it. Let us study it further and let us rewrite history. Don't keep this to yourself."

Jared gave in. "You can have it for now. Study it, examine it, publish it, do what ever you need to do, but I am not giving it to the museum, or to you. I am lending it to you."

"That's fair enough." Laeta quickly tucked Alexander's letter back into a pocket. "Do you know of a way to contact this stranger who gave you that letter? If you do, contact him. He might be able to supply us with more answers."

Jared was grateful that he hadn't shown the English message to Laeta. The professor might otherwise have already called this 'Alexander'. "I might… I'll let you know if I succeed." Jared collected the translation, and slipped it, together with the strands of hair back, into a pocket. "Thanks, Laeta."

"No, thank *you*." His head still reeled from everything he had discovered. He would publish the letter, and by doing that, he would change the face of history.

Jared rose from his chair, shook Laeta's hand, and headed for the exit.

~~~

Once he was back at his hotel, Jared sat down and uncovered the message and his cell phone. Two months had passed by since he had first laid eyes on the strands of hair, and during all that time, he had wondered what would happen once he made that phone call.

It looked like he was about to find out.

Jared punched in the number and waited…

~~~

"Why is your cell phone ringing?" The noise had disrupted his concentration and Bagoas shot the cell phone an angry glare. He had been practicing a new dance and lost his footing while carrying out a complicated move.

"How am I supposed to know?" Alexander picked up the cell phone and answered the call. "Yes?" The silence echoing back at him made him frown. "Who is this?"

"Jared… Jared Leto. You gave me your number about two months ago, together with a letter and strands of hair."

Alexander's eyes widened. He hadn't thought Jared would follow through. "And now you decided to give me a call? Does that mean you're in Athens?"

"I have been in Athens for a few days now to get your letter examined. It turned out to be authentic and I must admit I have some questions." Jared wondered just who the man on the other end of the line was. Was it the exotic beauty that had slipped him the letter or one of the other two men?

"Ah, so you know it's real?"

"I do… And I placed the call you asked for. What will happen now?"

"Where are you staying? Give me the address and I will pick you up. You can stay with us. There is no reason for you to stay in a hotel when we have a spare room." Alexander cringed. How in Zeus' name was he going to inform his lovers of this unexpected development? How would Hephaestion react? And Bagoas?

Jared gave him his address and Alexander scribbled it down. "Stay there until tomorrow morning. I will pick you up after breakfast." It was already late and he didn't want to drive during the night. It would also give him a chance to think about the way he was going to prepare Hephaestion and Bagoas where Jared's impending arrival was concerned.

"You will find me in the lobby. Let's say around eleven o'clock?"

"Sounds good to me." Alexander's face contorted as he realized that Hephaestion had successfully snuck up on him and was now listening in on the phone call. "I will be there."

"How will I know you?"

"I will know you." Alexander terminated the call and kept his eyes lowered now that he felt Hephaestion's knowing eyes on him.

"Alexander…" Hephaestion sounded exasperated. Had he drawn the right conclusion? "Did you talk to who I think you were talking to?"

"How am I supposed to know who you think I was talking to?" Alexander tried his best to postpone the argument which would follow.

"Alexander, did you talk to Jared Leto just now?" Hephaestion lowered himself on his heels in front of Alexander and placed a finger beneath his lover's chin. Lifting the face, he sought the brown eyes and found his answer there. "You did."

Bagoas listened up, feeling rather intrigued. "He actually called you? Does that mean he took your letter seriously?"

"He had it examined and it proved genuine -- of course. Now he is curious to learn where it came from." Alexander eventually met Hephaestion's eyes and cringed, seeing the tired expression in them. "I wouldn't do it again, you know. I wouldn't give him the letter again, but I did, and now we have to find a way to deal with what has happened."

"If Jared had that letter checked out then it will be published and probably end up in a museum," Hephaestion mused aloud. "I doubt they can do much damage by examining our hair. I just hope that Jared will return it to us."

Alexander wrung his hands and his features contorted. "Hephaestion, I told him I would pick him up tomorrow morning."

"You are bringing him here?" Bagoas blinked. "Alexander, what do you think Jared Leto will think once he meets with us? *We* know who we are – that our souls have been reincarnated. Jared won't believe that. He will think that we have lost our minds."

Alexander wished he had never slipped Jared that letter. "I wasn't thinking."

Hephaestion drew in a deep breath. "You have always been impulsive and it has served you well. It helped you conquer Asia once." Another sigh left his lips and he caressed Alexander's face. "How can I stay angry with you when you look at me like that?"

Bagoas suspected that Alexander knew exactly how to manipulate Hephaestion, but wisely kept quiet. He wasn't going to start world war three.

~~~

They cleaned and readied the spare room so Jared would have his privacy during his stay.

When they snuggled up to each other that evening, Bagoas failed to fall asleep, even long after Alexander and Hephaestion had dozed off.

Hephaestion had been right when he had said that he seemed infatuated with Jared Leto. He didn't know why he continued to think of the actor with those amazing eyes. Maybe it was his still tender age, his hormones, or a subconscious desire to have a fling. /Would I ever cheat on Alexander and Hephaestion? Why would I? They are everything I need… Everything I ever wanted. I would be insane to throw their love away./

How could he feel attracted to Jared Leto when he already loved Alexander and Hephaestion? /I have to crush this infatuation. I can't allow it to continue. It's foolish to think of him in that way. It's not like he could ever be interested in me that way and I don't want to risk Alexander's and Hephaestion's love./ He was merely fooling himself by thinking of Jared Leto in a romantic way.

Bagoas' thoughts continued to run in circles for many hours that night and, when he finally managed to fall asleep, it was already morning.

~~~

"And remember to behave yourself, Alexander. You don't want to scare Jared off." Hephaestion affectionately tucked a strand of Alexander's hair in place behind his lover's ear.

"I will do my best." Alexander leaned in closer and pressed a kiss onto Hephaestion's lips. "I should be back before dinner." Alexander gave his beloved Hephaestion a hungry look and then released his lover's hands. They had decided that, as Alexander had gotten them into this mess, he had to put in the most effort to make this work. Alexander would pick Jared up and introduce him to his lovers.

Bagoas had watched them closely and now followed them over to the car. This was one moment where he didn't want to attract Alexander's attention as he gathered that Hephaestion had the oldest right to say his goodbyes to Alexander first.

"Bye, Bagoas. Keep an eye on Hephaestion for me." Alexander had noticed Bagoas' distant behavior and wouldn't have it. Leaning in, he deposited a rather chaste kiss onto the younger man's lips.

"I will." Bagoas smiled radiantly at Alexander for kissing him goodbye.

Alexander released Bagoas and opened the car door when another surprise awaited him. Stretched out on the backseat was Peritas, snoring contentedly. "Oh no, do I have to wake him?"

Peritas woke up due to Alexander's outcry and the loyal, dark eyes fastened on Alexander. No, he wasn't moving. He was comfortable here and he planned on staying here.

"Looks like you will have to take him along for the ride." Hephaestion chuckled.

Alexander shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe I will come across as more reliable with a dog in the back of my car."

Bagoas rolled his eyes. Alexander made a certain impression on anyone he met and Peritas' presence wasn't going to change that.

Alexander sat down behind the wheel, started the car, and looked at his dog from over his shoulder. "This is your last chance to get out and to be pampered by those two."

"Come over here, Peritas," Hephaestion ordered in an effort to draw the dog out.

But all Peritas did was to rest his head on his paws and close his eyes. He wished they would stop disturbing his sleep.

"Looks like you just got your answer," Bagoas commented jokingly.

"All right, then you are coming with me." Alexander closed the door and started the car. "We are off to Athens, Peritas."

But Peritas remained unimpressed and continued to snore softly.

~~~

Jared was surprised to realize that he was nervous. He had called Shannon on the phone earlier that day and his brother had once more warned him not to meet the 'nutcase' who had given him the letter. His brother didn't know yet that the letter was genuine and Jared had kept it that way. This was *his* decision to make and for some reason, he wanted to meet this 'Alexander' who had signed that message.

He was seated in the lobby and had chosen a spot from where he had an excellent view of the doorway. He had no idea whom to expect. Maybe he hoped it was the raven-haired beauty who had caught his attention that day, but he somehow doubted he was 'Alexander'.

His suit case stood next to him and he tapped against it with his foot. Checking the time, he realized his 'Alexander' was late – almost half an hour late. Maybe it had all been one big joke? But then again, this 'Alexander' had sounded genuine when they had talked on the phone.

Suddenly the door opened and a fair-haired man stepped inside. Jared immediately recognized the man as the one he had seen in that bar at Tucson. He took a moment to really take the stranger in. The blond hair reached the man's shoulders and the brown eyes sparkled with mirth and something that could only be labeled as mischief. The stranger wore a burgundy shirt and black slacks, which looked good on him. The way 'Alexander' looked Jared could tell that this was someone who worked out on a regular bases.

Alexander scanned the lobby and quickly located Jared Leto, who now rose from the couch. Walking up to him, Alexander extended his hand in greeting. "Sorry that I am late, but there was a traffic jam."

Jared immediately identified the accent and was surprised to find he was dealing with a fellow American. "I'm Jared." He accepted and shook the stranger's hand.

"And I am Alexander. Is that your luggage?" Figuring he should make a good impression now that he still had the chance, Alexander picked up Jared's suit case.

"Yeah, that's it." Jared wanted to ask a battery of questions, but didn't – not yet.

Alexander hesitated for one moment, recalling his lovers' words. "You can trust me, you know. I am no insane, homicidal maniac. You will be safe with me."

Jared couldn't help it: he laughed. "And that's supposed to make be feel safer?"

Alexander had the grace to blush. "My lover suggested I should try to make you feel more comfortable, but I am not good at this. He is the diplomat."

Jared's curiosity was piqued. He followed Alexander out onto the street and asked, "Your lover?"

Alexander cringed. "I actually have two of them." They had reached his car and he put the suit case in the trunk. "I am going to sound so unbelievable."

Jared found the situation highly amusing. He was about to make a remark as he opened the car door, but remained quiet as he saw a dog raise his head and give him a tired look. "And who's that?"

"That's Peritas – he is developing bad habits in his old age." Alexander slipped behind the wheel and started the car. "The journey home will take us two or three hours – depends on how busy traffic is."

"And where is home?" Jared stretched his legs as far as he could and unbuttoned his long, black coat. It had been chilly during the morning, but it was rather warm inside the car.

"Near the coast. We bought a cottage there." Alexander wondered how he could have been so stupid as to maneuver himself into this situation. What did he expect? Did he really expect Jared to believe him that Alexander the Great had been reincarnated and that he was it?

"You said 'we' again. Tell me, I am curious. You did say that you had two lovers."

"Oh, you are not going to believe any of this – you will think me insane… And I can't blame you." Alexander did his best to concentrate on the road. "Jared, do you believe in reincarnation?"

That was the last question Jared had expected to hear. "Reincarnation? I never gave that idea much thought. Why are you asking?"

"Because if you don't believe in reincarnation you will have a hard time believing anything I will tell you." Peritas was now snoring even louder and the sound made Alexander arch an eyebrow. "He sounds comfortable."

Jared was still digesting Alexander's remark. He had reached one hell of a conclusion which he couldn't believe. "Are you trying to tell me that you think you were Alexander in another life?"

"In my first life." Alexander cringed; Jared didn't sound like he was going to believe any of it, but he had to try to make him understand. Maybe it was best if he started at the beginning. "It all changed when I decided to visit Troy and met Hephaestion there…"

~~~

One hour later, they stopped at a roadside restaurant for a drink. Alexander had judged it best to take a break as he had been worried about the expression in Jared's eyes. /He thinks I am mad./ He should have expected that reaction, but for some reason he had thought Jared might believe him.

Seated at a table in the back, Jared sipped his coffee. The caffeine did its job and shook him from his musings. "And you expect me to believe this? That you're Alexander the Great and that your lovers are Hephaestion and Bagoas?" Was this some sort of mass delusion? Had those three men convinced themselves that they were incarnations of those three historical characters?

"I am not Alexander the Great – I used to be him, though, but I am a different person today. I was a cop until I got shot and I never thought I could have lived before. It all changed that day at Troy when I found Hephaestion." Alexander sipped his hot chocolate – he had grown quite fond of it as a replacement for wine. "I had hoped that the letter would convince you that I am for real."

"The letter's real," Jared said, nodding his head once. "Where did you get it?"

"Bagoas took it from my tomb."

"Your tomb?" Jared's month suddenly grew dry and he quickly took another sip. Deciding to play along, he added, "But Alexander's tomb – or his body – was never found."

"That's because Bagoas took my remains to Troy and buried me there." Alexander leaned back and caught Jared's eyes. "If you don't trust me, I will take you back to your hotel."

In spite of his doubts, Jared felt intrigued. "No, we'll continue. I'm curious to meet this 'Hephaestion'."

"You have seen him before. He stood next to me that day in the bar."

"The one with the blue eyes? They're amazing." And that was quite a thing to say, as most people thought his eyes were pretty amazing as well. "And what about 'Bagoas'?"

"He slipped you that letter." Alexander finished his hot chocolate and eyed Jared closely.

"That was Bagoas?" Now he could give his dark-haired beauty a name. "And the three of you all live together?"

"And love together. I made huge mistakes in my first life, and so did Bagoas. We wronged Hephaestion in many ways and this is our chance to make amends. I don't expect you to believe any of this, but it's the truth."

"So why did you decide to slip me that letter? Why not Colin Farrell? He played Alexander, you know."

"I didn't really like him that much in the film. You did much better, portraying Hephaestion."

This was getting more interesting with each passing minute. "You saw 'Alexander'?"

"I convinced Hephaestion and Bagoas to go. I can be pretty convincing when I want to." Now that Jared still acted calm and controlled, Alexander became a bit more confident that everything might still work out. "Your acting impressed us, and Bagoas thought Francisco Bosch did very well, considering the fact that he didn't have any lines."

Jared shook his head in amazement. "I don't know what to make of you – or any of this."

"Just give us a chance. You don't have to believe anything we will tell you – or the things you will witness, but just keep an open mind. Can you do that? Because if you can't I will take you back to your hotel. I don't want you ridiculing Hephaestion or Bagoas – I love them too much to allow that."

"I don't know why, but I want to believe you," Jared said eventually. "But you're talking about reincarnation and tombs and… It's much to take in."

"You have time, Jared. We won't pressure or push you in any way. Just promise me that you will treat Hephaestion and Bagoas with respect. They deserve that."

"You love them a lot," Jared commented, realizing that Alexander was serious.

"They are my life, Jared. Without Hephaestion…" Alexander searched for the right words to explain his feelings to Jared. "I don't know how much research you did for your role, but Hephaestion kept me sane. He was the guardian of my soul. I grew up in a dysfunctional family and he was the only one I could trust. Hephaestion… There are no words to describe much I love him."

Jared smiled gently at Alexander to reassure him. "You have a way with words."

"Only because of Hephaestion… He always makes me open up and discuss my feelings…" Alexander gave Jared a hopeful smile. "So do you think you can do this and keep an open mind?"

Jared had always thought of himself as a good judge of character and Alexander seemed trustworthy. He didn't pick up on any malicious vibes when he looked into those old eyes. Either Alexander had truly convinced himself that he was the incarnation of Alexander the Great or… -- and Jared's head reeled even just thinking it – reincarnation did exist. "I'll keep an open mind."

Alexander nodded once. "Then let's leave. Hephaestion and Bagoas are waiting for us and we are already late." Alexander paid for their drinks and the two men returned to the car. Peritas had woken up by now and demanded they took him for a short walk, which they did, as Alexander didn't want his car peed on.

In the end, they left ten minutes later and Alexander hoped he was doing the right thing in taking Jared to their little cottage.

TBC

Part 7

Hephaestion had been typing away on his laptop when he'd heard the sounds of a car approaching. It could only mean that Alexander had returned – and just as his lover had promised: before dinner time.

Hephaestion finished typing the message to a publisher he was offering his book on Aristotle to, sent the message, and then closed the laptop. He wondered what Alexander had told Jared so far and if the American already considered them mad. Hephaestion knew how their story had to sound to someone who hadn't been in on the ride from the beginning.

Rising from behind the kitchen table, Hephaestion cast a look out of the kitchen window and saw that Bagoas was concentrating deeply on his dancing. He decided that warning Bagoas could wait for another minute and headed for the doorway to welcome Jared to their little home. He could only hope that Alexander had handled telling Jared in a good way.

~~~

"This is it. This is our home." Alexander switched off the engine, opened the door, and stepped outside. Peritas was interested in getting out as well and was trying to dig himself a way to the outside by burrowing his nails along the back of the seat. Alexander quickly helped the dog to get out and watched with amusement how Peritas made his way over to Hephaestion, wagging his tail and snuffling in the other man's familiar scent.

Alexander met Hephaestion's gaze and smiled encouragingly. So far, things were going well.

Jared had stepped out of the car as well and took a moment to stretch. Raising his arms high above his head, he tried to undo the knots that had formed in his back during the three-hour drive. Turning around, he took in the cottage and the man standing in the doorway. A strange sensation swept through him and he was at a loss to identify what he was feeling, but he almost felt magically drawn toward this man.

Alexander sighed to show his relief and his smile brightened now that Jared was already moving toward his lover. "Jared, this is Hephaestion, my other half."

Feeling a bit nervous, Hephaestion walked toward Jared and extended his hand in greeting. "Welcome to our home, Jared." Now that he had a chance to study Jared from up close, he had to admit that Jared’s eyes were gorgeous and he shared Alexander's sentiments when it came down to the fact that Jared's hair was too damn short. It had started to grow again, but it was still a far cry from the lovely mane Jared had possessed when he had been filming Alexander. "I hope you'll like your stay here."

Jared's eyes narrowed and he studied Hephaestion closely. There was something familiar about the man, but he couldn't say what it was. He accepted the offered hand and shook it. "I'm glad I accepted your invitation to visit… I think." Only a moment ago, he'd still had dozens of questions, but he couldn't remember any of them now that he was looking into Hephaestion's eyes.

"We readied a room for you so you'll have your privacy." Hephaestion exchanged another look with Alexander. Did his lover know why Jared was looking at him in such an odd way? "I'll show you so you can freshen up a bit before dinner."

"I'll start dinner." Alexander was looking forward to doing some cooking – that activity always relaxed him. He opened the trunk, lifted Jared's suit case out of it, and handed it to Hephaestion. Directing his attention to Jared once more, Alexander added, "You're in the best of hands."

Jared finally managed a smile. He hadn't realized just how nervous he had felt until a moment ago, when that anxiety had begun to decrease. He had been worried that he had made a terrible mistake in accepting Alexander's offer, he realized. He hadn't known where the hell he would end up and with which people. But he liked Alexander and Hephaestion simply intrigued him.

Hephaestion gestured for Jared to follow him and he guided their guest to the spare room. "It's no five-star hotel, but I hope it will do." He placed the suit case onto the bed and then turned to face Jared once more. "You're free to leave, you know. Just tells us when you want to go back to civilization and Alexander will drive you to the airport." It was important to him that Jared knew that he wasn't some sort of prisoner there.

"I have two weeks left until my next gig and I would like to spend it here, I think." Jared slowly raised his right hand and let it hover just in front of Hephaestion's face. "Are you really him? Are you really…?"

"Hephaestion? Yes." Hephaestion sat down on the bed and then patted the space next to him. It was obvious that Jared needed to talk and Hephaestion wasn't going to deny him. "I was Hephaestion in my first life – I was Alexander's lover."

Jared's knees almost gave out beneath him and he quickly seated himself on the bed next to Hephaestion. Something Alexander had said came back and he asked, "Did you also see the film?"

Hephaestion nodded his head once. "I did and you portrayed me pretty well. I was pleased with the way you played me and so was Alexander."

"Did I do it right? Did I capture the essence of your character?" A part of him wondered if he had lost his mind and he reminded himself that he was probably talking to some sort of psychopath who *believed* he was Hephaestion. But what if Alexander had told him the truth and they had been reincarnated?

"Mostly, yes." Hephaestion felt relieved now that Jared didn't think him mad. "Alexander and I weren't always that discreet and it was no secret that we were lovers." He chuckled, recalling a scene from the movie that had annoyed Alexander. "Alexander would never ask me to spend the night with him – he would simply have dragged me inside and made love to me. And I should probably not get started on the balcony scene… I will leave it to Alexander to tell you his opinion about that one."

Jared found himself smiling goofily. "I told Oliver the same thing, but he was a bit hesitant to have more intimate scenes in the movie."

Hephaestion rose from the bed and smiled at his guest. "Why don't you freshen up? The bathroom is in there." He pointed Jared in the right direction. "Once you are done I will introduce you to Bagoas."

"Bagoas…" Jared had gotten to his feet as well and now gave Hephaestion a thoughtful look. "I don't know that much about him, but the little facts I do know make me surprised to find him here. I thought that Bagoas and you didn't get along?"

Hephaestion shrugged his shoulders. "Bagoas and I had some misunderstandings in our first life. I am glad that we managed to straighten them out in this one."

"And what does that mean?" Jared felt intrigued by all this new information. /I can't believe I'm taking all this for granted – that I actually believe what they're telling me!/ But neither Alexander nor Hephaestion seemed deceitful or mentally unstable to him.

"Bagoas hated me in his first life. He was insanely jealous of me when he had no reason to feel like that. Things changed in this life – the three of us are lovers now for which I am grateful."

"The three of you are lovers…" Jared repeated the words. "I never understood how threesomes could work."

"This one does." Hephaestion smiled before making his way over to the doorway. "If you stick around long enough, you will find out what the dynamics of this relationship are."

Jared quickly covered the distance between them and stopped Hephaestion from stepping into the corridor by placing a hand on the other man's shoulder. "Why did you send me that note? Why did you contact me? Why ask me to come here?"

"That's something you need to ask Alexander. It was his idea to contact you. I didn't know what he was up to at the time. His actions surprised me as well." Jared removed his hand and Hephaestion stepped into the corridor. "I have my suspicions as to why he brought you here, but only time will tell if I am right."

"And what are those suspicions?"

Hephaestion smiled at Jared and cocked his head. "In Tucson Bagoas said, 'This is a message from the past meant for the future'…"

"I remember those words…" Jared still looked mystified.

"We will find out why Alexander wanted you to know that." Hephaestion wasn't certain he had guessed correctly, but he suspected Alexander would – in time – reveal the whereabouts of his tomb to Jared. And Jared in turn would then reveal his discovery to the academic world. But, he could also be wrong and therefore wasn't bringing any of this up just yet. "I will see you in a few minutes." Hephaestion recalled how fond Bagoas had sounded when they had talked about Jared and he reckoned the younger man would be thrilled to meet Jared.

~~~

"He doesn't appear as shocked as I thought he would be." Hephaestion leaned against the kitchen wall and watched Alexander clean and season the fish they would have for dinner. "He is quite curious, though. Jared wonders why you contacted him and I must admit so am I."

Alexander placed the sharp knife aside and looked his lover in the eye. "It was you who insisted we should tell the world about my tomb."

"You plan to do this through Jared." He had been right then. "Don't you think they will find it odd that it's Jared Leto who found your tomb?"

"That's not my problem." Alexander seasoned the salmon and heated the pan. "Why don't you let me worry about that?"

Hephaestion walked up to Alexander and wrapped his arms around his lover's waist from behind. "Just be careful. Jared knows where we live. He can bring the press here if he decides to do so."

"That occurred to me as well." Alexander tilted his head and looked at his lover from over his shoulder. "I made another mistake, didn't I?"

"Not necessarily. Much depends on our ability to convince Jared that we are for real."

"Do you have any plans on how to accomplish that?"

"I might have. Let *me* worry about that, Alexander."

The sound of someone clearing his throat made Hephaestion and Alexander look toward the doorway. "Jared, I didn't expect you to join us so quickly." Hephaestion didn't pull away from Alexander. He didn't want to appear embarrassed because Jared had caught him embracing Alexander. Jared would have to get used to seeing them in such an intimate way for he wasn't going to change his ways.

Jared was surprised to feel a smile form on his face. He should feel uncomfortable being in strange surroundings with two men he hardly knew, but he didn't. He felt like he could trust them. "Preparing dinner?" he asked in an effort to make conversation.

"I am," Alexander replied, "but Hephaestion is distracting me. Why don't you introduce Jared to Bagoas? The last time I saw him, he was working out in the garden."

"I will do just that." Hephaestion placed a kiss on Alexander's cheek, released his lover, and then gestured for Jared to follow him.

Alexander chuckled as he watched them go. Jared seemed to fit in nicely, which surprised him and, although he liked Jared, Alexander still thought it was a shame that the actor had cut off his hair. He would never get over that.

~~~

Jared's gaze fastened on the gracious form which effortlessly moved over the grass. Long, raven hair danced against the small of the man's back, and when it didn't, it was swirling around Bagoas and creating the illusion of a veil. "I remember him – and his eyes." Yes, this was the dark-haired man who had caught his attention in Tucson.

"That's Bagoas." Hephaestion knew it was only a matter of seconds before Bagoas would grow aware of the eyes upon him and Bagoas didn't disappoint him. The moment Jared and he came to stop, so did Bagoas after spinning around.

Bagoas had been about to greet Hephaestion when he grew aware of Jared's presence. The actor's blue eyes seemed glued to his form and Bagoas couldn't stop a blush from forming on his face. Jared looked good – looked handsome in his dark-grey jacket and black slacks.

"Bagoas, you remember Jared don't you?" Hephaestion noticed Bagoas' shy reaction with interest. He had seen the downcast eyes and trembling before – Bagoas had acted like that in their first life whenever Alexander had been praising him. Seeing Bagoas so shy all of a sudden told him a lot. "Jared, this is Bagoas."

Hephaestion's introduction urged Jared into action. He took a step toward Bagoas and extended his hand. "Hello." Having this meeting and addressing Bagoas felt surreal, but he was beginning to easily accept that they were for real. "You're a talented dancer."

"Thank you." Bagoas stared at the offered hand and worked up the courage to shake it, taking several minutes. He hadn't thought he would feel so timid around Jared.

Jared didn't quite know what to make of Bagoas' reaction. The dark eyes stared at the grass and Bagoas had quickly let go of his hand again. Was Bagoas feeling nervous or did he simply not like him?

"You must excuse Bagoas," Hephaestion commented, intervening, "He can act bashful at times." The glare that Bagoas now gave him caused Hephaestion to chuckle. His remark had served its purpose: it had made Bagoas look up.

Bagoas composed himself and met Jared's eyes. "I didn't expect you to be here – you took me by surprise."

Jared appreciated Bagoas' beauty – the way the long hair moved against his shoulders and the manner in which those eyes seemed to devour him. Bagoas struck him as very young and then he recalled what Alexander had told him on their drive here. /He's only nineteen./ "I didn't think I would be here either."

Jared's words made Bagoas feel a tad more comfortable and he smiled weakly. "I hope you'll like it here."

"I'm sure I will." Jared returned Bagoas' shy smile. So far, Bagoas intrigued him the most. There was something about the dark-haired beauty that puzzled him – there was a mystery there and he loved riddles. "Will you join us for dinner?"

Bagoas' stomach growled promptly, revealing just how hungry his dancing had made him. "I will."

Hephaestion smiled secretly, seeing their interaction. He hoped that Jared would make some nice company for Bagoas. Bagoas needed more friends.

~~~

Dinner was eaten while easy chatter was going on, something which surprised Jared. He had expected to feel uncomfortable, like an intruder, and worried because he found himself in such an unexpected situation, but none of that happened. He wasn't quite certain yet if he believed their claim that their souls had been reincarnated and that they had been really been Alexander, Hephaestion, and Bagoas in the past, but they seemed 'harmless'. Jared actually felt safe with them.

After dinner, they chatted about the Oliver Stone film, Alexander the Great's life, and the show Jared's band had given at Tucson. They seemed to like his music, which was another pleasant surprise. It was already midnight when Jared excused himself and retired to his room.

Sitting down on his bed, Jared shook his head and wondered what he had gotten himself into. He made up his mind and decided to stay here for the whole two weeks before he had to join his band again. He hoped to learn a lot more about these three men during his stay here.

~~~

Jared didn't really know what had awoken him in the middle of the night. He had been asleep one moment and was sitting upright in his bed the next. For one moment, he felt disorientated and had no idea where he was, but then he remembered where he was staying.

There it was again! A sound coming from the corridor caught his attention and Jared pushed the comforter off of his body. He was wearing a baggy T-shirt, but as it was chilly that night, he also picked up his morning robe and slipped into it. After tying the belt around his waist, he snuck over to the doorway and opened the door. A shadow slipped out of the corridor and, curiosity piqued, Jared followed suit.

~~~

Jared followed Bagoas onto the beach. There was a full moon out that night and its rays made the waves of the sea shine silver. Bagoas, who had left his lovers' bed naked, sat down on the sand. He pulled his knees close to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. He rested his chin on his knees and stared longingly at the moon.

Jared wondered if he should return to the cottage. He had no business coming out here as he barely knew Bagoas, but his curiosity proved stronger and he walked onto the beach.

So far, Bagoas hadn't realized he had company yet. He was still staring at the waves, which crashed onto the shore, and tilted his head. Although he was sleepy, his worries didn't allow him to sleep. Jared's arrival had stirred unknown feelings in him and he didn't know what to do with them.

"Do you want to be alone? Or do you want some company?"

Jared's voice startled Bagoas, who flinched when he recognized the voice. Looking up at Jared's form, he gasped. The eyes sparkled and they appeared as silver-blue as the sea. Realizing Jared had slipped into his morning robe before coming out there, Bagoas blushed as he found himself naked. Fortunately he had chosen a position to sit in which didn't reveal any private parts. "What are you doing out here?" He had loved Jared's scent right from the start and the soft, gentle expression in those eyes called to him.

Taking Bagoas' question as an invitation to talk, Jared seated himself on the sand next to Bagoas. "I saw you leave and became curious. Why are you out here?" Calling him Bagoas felt awkward and Jared didn't do that yet. Calling him that would mean admitting he believed their claim to be those ancient souls to be true.

"I couldn't sleep. Alexander was snoring…" It was a half-truth of course. Yes, Alexander had been snoring, but that had never kept him awake before. "I felt like I needed to break free and watching the sea always calms me down."

"It's chilly out here," Jared remarked. "Do you want my morning robe? I still have a T-shirt on beneath it, but you're naked."

"I didn't think of the cold when I left." Bagoas blushed as Jared draped the morning robe across his shoulders. He was about to suggest Jared moved closer, because then they could share the garment, when he became aware of how heavy Jared's scent lingered inside his morning robe. He pulled it close and deeply inhaled it.

"It's a beautiful night." Jared suspected that something troubled Bagoas, but had no idea what it was.

"There weren't many nights like this in my first life." Bagoas had no idea what had made him say that.

"So you believe that you were Bagoas in another life time?" Their conviction stunned Jared.

"I know who I was, Jared… and I know what I was."

"Will you tell me?"

"Why should I? Don't you know enough about me anyway? They researched my past when they made the film, didn't they?"

"Much of what was put into that film was speculation, but if you're the real thing, you have a chance to set some things straight now." Jared patiently waited for Bagoas to realize he was being looked at and when the younger man did, those dark eyes met his. "What was your life like, Bagoas?" Hearing him speak that name hopefully convinced Bagoas that he was being sincere.

Bagoas swallowed in an effort to do away with his growing nervousness. Jared was the last one he wanted to share any intimate details concerning his first life with. He liked Jared and was worried that hearing his tale would have a negative effect on the actor. But how could he deny Jared?

"Imagine being a small boy and seeing your family killed. Imagine seeing your father's body impact nearby and see his head shatter into pieces. Imagine what it feels like to be strapped to a chair and having your testicles cut out. Imagine being sold to customers and being raped, being trained to become a professional whore and for the rapes to continue… Imagine how you would react when you finally meet someone who demands nothing from you… who offers you freedom and love. Alexander did that for me. He set me free and I clung to him – possessively. I wanted him and I had him. I wanted to own him. I was such a brat back then."

Jared had been sucked in by Bagoas' words and momentarily forgot to breathe.

"I made many mistakes in my first life. I made the mistake to want to own Alexander. Another mistake was that I hated Hephaestion the way I did. He never deserved my loathing."

"And that changed in this life?" Jared was by now convinced that Bagoas truly believed the things he was telling him. Not even the most talented actor would be able to put so much conviction in his words. Tears slid down Bagoas' face, but the younger man made no effort to wipe them away. Bagoas seemed lost in the past.

"I changed many things in this life. I stopped trying to own Alexander and I allowed Hephaestion's love to heal me. I found paradise here." Bagoas nervously moistened his lips and swallowed, as he tried to rid himself of the obstructive lump that had formed in his throat. "They love me in a way I didn't think anyone was capable of. They don't need me – or my love – but they cherish me and love me back, which is a first. It took me a long time to accept that they really love me."

Jared knew he had to tread carefully, but he still wanted to know. "How do you feel about me coming here? Do you think Alexander made the right decision in contacting me?"

Bagoas shrugged his shoulders once. "I don’t know." He finally wiped away his tears and managed a weak smile. Peeking at Jared's face, he saw compassion in the actor's eyes. "I like you… I like your music… I liked the way you played Hephaestion in the film… For what it’s worth, I am glad you're here."

Jared tilted his head and studied Bagoas' eyes, seeing something there he had seen many times before – Bagoas found him attractive. He had learned to read those signs a long time ago. "Are you happy here with Alexander and Hephaestion?"

Bagoas resolutely nodded his head. "I am… I am very happy. They didn't have to take me in when they found me, but they did."

"When they found you?" Jared frowned and noticed that Bagoas was trembling.

"What happened to me in my first life repeated itself in this life. I was forced into prostitution and lived like a whore for years… I didn't think Alexander and Hephaestion would take me in and accept me, but they did. Hephaestion's love and patience helped me heal." Bagoas was beginning to panic – he had revealed too many painful, personal details to Jared, who now knew that he had been a whore in this life as well. Old shame snuck back into his mind and he jumped to his feet. Pulling the morning robe tightly around his frame, he sprinted off before Jared had a chance to stop him.

"Let him go."

Jared, who had jumped to his feet, was stopped by Hephaestion. /Where did he come from?/ He hadn't heard Hephaestion approach – and neither had he noticed Alexander's arrival. The blond man had caught Bagoas by wrapping an arm around the younger man’s shoulder and had managed to stop him from running. Jared could hear Alexander talk softly, but since they were speaking in Greek, he had no idea what they were saying. "I didn't mean to upset him."

"It wasn't your fault." Hephaestion had overheard most of their conversation. Alexander and he had woken up and had found Bagoas gone. Guessing that Bagoas would head for the beach, which he often did, they had gone there and found Bagoas talking to Jared. "Bagoas has come a long way since we were reunited, but he's still busy working through his past."

"Is it true what he said? That he was…"

"Forced to work in a brothel as a whore? Yes, that's true for his first life and for this one as well. We found him after he had escaped his pimps and we took him in."

Jared knew Hephaestion was holding back. "Help me understand. From what I gather Alexander and you are lovers… Alexander called you the other half of his soul. But it's two halves that make one whole, not three, so where does Bagoas fit in?"

Hephaestion drew in a deep breath. "That's not an easy question to answer, but I will try. I love Alexander – he is my soul – and the same goes for the way Alexander feels about me. We are only complete when we are together, but we have enough love to include Bagoas. We love him and we want him to be happy. Our love completes each other. There's no jealousy – not like there was in our first life."

Jared stopped following Bagoas with his eyes and looked into Hephaestion's instead. They radiated wisdom and age. "Should I apologize to Bagoas or will that only make things worse?"

"Let Alexander calm Bagoas down. Once Bagoas has composed himself, he'll regret his emotional outburst and he'll probably come to you to apologize. The best thing you can do then is to assure him that there's nothing he needs to apologize for."

Jared nodded his head; Hephaestion's advice made sense. "I don't really know what to make of any of this, but the three of you seem to be very caring and understanding. You might be reincarnations of Alexander, Hephaestion, and Bagoas or not. I'm not sure if it matters." Now that he was getting to know them, he could imagine befriending them.

"We are who we say we are, Jared. I am Hephaestion. I commanded armies, built cities, and had Alexander's love. That is the truth – and it matters little if you believe me or not because *I* know it’s the truth."

Jared looked at Hephaestion with new respect. /I like him – I like all three of them./ "Thanks for inviting me."

Hephaestion's smile grew radiant as he saw new understanding in Jared's eyes. "It's a pleasure to have you, my friend."

TBC

Part 8

"Bagoas, stop! Calm down! Please, Bagoas, please..." Alexander didn't like using force to keep Bagoas in place, but he had no other choice. He didn't want Bagoas to run away from them and needed to keep him in place. Bagoas was trembling, his dark hair was flying, and the brown eyes revealed panic and stress.

"All is well, Bagoas. I've got you." Alexander pulled Bagoas close and ignored his younger lover's feeble attempts at freeing himself. Had he been under the impression that Bagoas really wanted to get away from him, Alexander would have let him go, but the expression in those brown eyes told him that Bagoas needed him.

"I told you that I would catch you should you fall and I'm here – you've been caught." He phrased his reassurances in that way on purpose to make it sound that it wasn't Bagoas' responsibility to come running to him for comfort and that Alexander was freely offering whatever his lover might need at the moment.

Bagoas stared at Alexander and felt at a loss. "I told him… I told him about…" He couldn't say the words again.

Bagoas didn't have to, as Alexander had overheard the conversation as well. "You're allowed to fall, you know." Alexander released a relieved sigh as Bagoas moved into his arms. He embraced Bagoas tightly and smiled ruefully the moment Bagoas rested his head against his right shoulder. "You're much stronger than you think, Bagoas. Telling Jared took courage and strength. Don't beat yourself up now for panicking. You've already come such a long way."

Alexander began to walk Bagoas back to their cottage and his lover went willingly. One look from over his shoulder told him that Hephaestion and Jared were still talking and that they were also making their way to the cottage, but at some distance. "You feel cold," he commented in order to make some conversation. "I'll tuck you right into bed."

Bagoas chuckled softly and doing so allowed his panic a way out. "That's because I *am* cold."

Alexander gathered that Jared wouldn't mind having his morning robe returned in the morning. Bagoas continued to pull the fabric close to his frame and it seemed like he didn't want to part from it.

They had reached their room and Alexander kept his promise: he piled the pillows at the head, told Bagoas to lie down, and then tucked him in. Alexander sat down at the foot end and pulled Bagoas' right foot onto his lap. The appendage was cold and Bagoas was still shivering, so Alexander started to massage the foot, like he had done when they had been in Athens.

Alexander kept a close eye on Bagoas and noticed the exact moment when the younger man began to relax. He reckoned that the massage was helping and he now pulled the left foot into his lap as well. While rubbing Bagoas' feet, Alexander continued to study Bagoas' expression, which had softened and grown calmer. "Better?"

"Better." Having his feet rubbed did the trick. Bagoas was still aware of the fact that he was wearing Jared's morning robe and wondered if their guest wanted it back right now – it smelled so good. He liked Jared's scent a lot.

"Jared will understand. He strikes me as a very understanding person." Alexander chuckled. "He even put up with my raving when I tried to explain our situation to him."

Bagoas' eyes had closed and they remained close when he spoke again. "Why did I tell him? Why couldn't I just stay quiet?"

Alexander shrugged his shoulders and kept up the massage. "It needed a way out." And maybe Bagoas had hoped that Jared would understand. "Do you think that you can go back to sleep again?"

"I haven't slept tonight yet." Bagoas' eyes opened and fastened on Alexander. "Do you want to have sex?"

The question struck Alexander as odd and even more importantly, as dangerous. Where had that question come from? Hephaestion had taught him to tread carefully in such a situation and he trusted on his newly found ability to talk things through instead of locking them out. "Sex? Why are you asking me that?" The way Bagoas' eyes widened warned him that something was *really* wrong.

"Isn't that all I'm good for?"

Alexander's heart contracted painfully in his chest. "I thought we had been through this before?" As he was focused on dealing with Bagoas' anguish, Alexander didn't notice that Hephaestion had joined them and was now standing near the doorway.

Hephaestion had closed the door behind him to give them some privacy. He didn't interfere yet, hoping and maybe even trusting that Alexander could handle this.

"That's not true and deep down, you know it." Alexander had moved forward, having released one foot, and placed a hand on Bagoas' chest. "I don't know why you feel the need to say that, but in your heart, you know it's not true. Hephaestion and I love you unconditionally."

Bagoas' features relaxed and the trembling that had rocked the younger man's body a moment ago subsided. "And when we do decide to get intimate, I want us to make love, not to have sex. I trust you know the difference by now?" Alexander patiently waited for his words to register with Bagoas.

The dam broke a second time and tears flowed from Bagoas' eyes. "I know… I know that, but sometimes…"

"Sometimes you need to hear it." Alexander had learned his lesson well and felt eternally grateful that Hephaestion had helped him grow emotionally. He shifted his position, knelt on the bed, and Bagoas promptly moved into his arms again. Alexander held Bagoas close and rocked him gently. The next moment, the mattress dipped under Hephaestion's weight. Alexander felt how Hephaestion's arms snuck around his waist, not only including him in his lover's embrace, but Bagoas as well.

"What Alexander said, is true, Bagoas. Our love is unconditional. We love *you*." Hephaestion felt proud of the way Alexander had handled Bagoas' emotional outburst. His lover had done well.

~~~

Jared was unable to fall asleep again and, in the end, he uncovered the letter Laeta had translated for him the other day. He pulled his knees close to his chest and began to read.

My beloved Hephaestion, how much I miss you! You don't know how hard it is to be apart from you for such a long time. I dream of you at night. I dream of holding you in my arms and of kissing you. I dream of making love to you and in my dreams you move so beautifully beneath me that the image alone is enough to make me find release.

I know that they need you to rebuild this city, but I am envious because they have your presence and I don't. Hephaestion, will you hurry back to my side? I can't live without you. It's so hard to maintain control when you are not around to guide me.

Everyone thinks that I rule this kingdom, but the truth is that I could never do it without you. You are Alexander too, and don't start laughing now that you are reading these words for they are true.

My Companions don't understand why you are so important to me and they never will. So be it. But I know how much I love you – how much I need you.

Please, Hephaestion, hurry home to me. My heart feels lonely and my soul needs yours to be complete.

Your Alexander

Jared couldn't help smiling at the letter. Alexander's words spoke of a devoted and unconditional love – the same which he had just witnessed being given to Bagoas. No matter how hard it might be to believe that he was actually dealing with the incarnations of those three historical figures, Jared realized that he could learn a lot from the way they interacted and loved each other.

He tucked the letter back into a pocket and stretched out on the bed. He folded his arms beneath his head and stared at the ceiling, wondering what tomorrow would bring.

~~~

"Bagoas, where are you going?" Even half asleep, Hephaestion had noticed Bagoas' attempts to leave their warm bed and he opened one eye to check on his lover.

"I can't sleep anymore," Bagoas replied, "I have been awake for one hour now and I need to do something… I'll make breakfast and then I'll wake you, how about that?" He had slept peacefully for a few hours, but had woken up when the sun had started to rise and now he felt energized.

Hephaestion opened the other eye as well and gave Bagoas a long, hard look. He searched the brown eyes until he was convinced that his lover felt all right and wasn't running away from his feelings again. "Then go, my love."

Impulsively, Bagoas leaned in closer and placed a kiss on Hephaestion's brow. "You should try to sleep some more."

"I will…" Hephaestion mumbled, already dozing off again.

Bagoas snuck out of the bed. Once he was on his feet again, he realized that he was still wearing Jared's morning robe. He should probably return the garment to their guest, but was he ready yet to face Jared? Bagoas vividly remembered the scene he had made last night. What did Jared think of him now? Last night must have confirmed that the three of them had lost their minds long age – and even if Jared thought Hephaestion and Alexander were for real, the actor must think him mad at the very least.

Dressed in Jared's morning robe and, lost in thought, Bagoas made his way into the kitchen. It wasn't until he stood near the kitchen table that he realized that he wasn't alone. Jared was already there, soundlessly opening and closing the kitchen cupboards in search of something. Bagoas began to panic and wanted to turn around so he could hide in his lovers' room again, but at exactly that moment Jared turned around and smiled at him.

"Good morning. You're an early riser too?" Jared had also woken at first sunrise and, although he had tried to stay in bed, he had finally crumbled and given in, climbing out of it. He had gone into the kitchen in search of some strong coffee, but so far, he hadn't found any.

"Good morning, Jared." Bagoas swallowed hard and directed his gaze to the floor so he didn't have to look Jared in the eye. "Are you looking for something?"

"Yeah, coffee."

Bagoas opened one of the cupboards Jared hadn't reached yet and handed him the tin.

"Thank you." Jared had suspected that his first talk with Bagoas after the younger man's outburst would be tricky and he was trying to find the right words to reassure Bagoas. "How do you feel today?" He put water into the coffee maker, added the coffee, and switched it on. He walked up to the table, pulled back a chair, and sat down straddling it.

Bagoas peeked at Jared and found that their guest was still wearing the oversized T-shirt. The blue eyes looked awake and alert. It was obvious that Jared wanted to talk. Bagoas shuffled his feet, painfully aware of the fact that he was naked beneath Jared's morning robe. "I'll return this to you in a bit." He pointed at the morning robe and continued to stare at the floor.

"Bagoas, sit down? Please?" Jared pushed a chair away from the table to indicate that Bagoas should seat himself.

Bagoas did. He sat down, wrung his hands beneath the table, and tried to hide behind the black curtain of his hair.

But Jared wouldn't have it and reached for Bagoas' hair so he could push it behind the younger man's ear. "Bagoas?"

Bagoas forced himself to face Jared. He couldn't keep postponing the confrontation. "I am sorry," he murmured, hesitantly making eye contact. "I am sorry for telling you all that and then running away from you."

"There's nothing to feel sorry about," Jared interjected quickly. "You decided to trust me and I understand that opening up to me was hard on you."

Bagoas shrugged his shoulders. "But this will change everything between us," he said, voicing his concerns.

"And why is that?" Jared frowned.

"You now know what I am – what I was. You will act differently toward me now." Bagoas decided to be completely honest with Jared and he peeked at the blue eyes, which looked at him with encouragement and faith. "I wanted to befriend you. I like you, Jared, and…" It was more than 'like' but Bagoas was realistic enough to realize that nothing would happen between them.

"I like you too, Bagoas," Jared responded in a soft voice. He ran his fingers down Bagoas' hair until no more strands obscured the handsome features from his view. "I hope we'll become friends too." Jared then took a risk and added, "I hope that you'll dance for me one day and maybe we can hit the city during one of my last days here? Do some shopping or go to a night club?" He reckoned that what Bagoas needed the most was a friend, not another lover. He already had Hephaestion and Alexander as his lovers.

Bagoas swallowed convulsively. "You still want to spend time with me?"

"But of course!" Jared briefly caressed Bagoas' face, instinctively knowing that the younger man needed the touch. "The past shapes us, that much is true, but the future is ours to create. If you’re determined to beat this, you will. You need to have some faith in yourself, Bagoas. I have faith in you." He did and that was taking in the fact that he had only been here for a day.

On Bagoas' face, a smile formed and his eyes sparkled with joy. "Thank you!" He hadn't thought this conversation would be so easy!

"Is that coffee I smell? By Zeus, I need some!" Alexander, still busy wiping sleep from his half-closed eyes, stumbled into the kitchen. He normally was a morning person, but today was different as Bagoas' emotional outburst had disturbed his sleep.

Bagoas quickly checked the coffee maker, found the coffee ready, and got up to pour Alexander a cup.

"Make that a mug," Alexander said as he seated himself at the table next to Jared. "Big mug, lots of sugar and no milk."

Bagoas grinned, carried out Alexander's request, and placed the hot coffee in front of his lover, who was smart enough to wait for it to cool down before sipping it. "Is Hephaestion still asleep?"

"No, he's already awake. He'll join us in a moment." Alexander's sleepy expression changed into a leer. Hephaestion probably needed to clean himself up after their lovemaking. Alexander actually felt rather proud to have taken Hephaestion without making much noise. The two men in the kitchen hadn't noticed their morning activity.

Hephaestion appeared a moment later, looking the opposite of the still sleep-tousled Alexander. His long hair was damp from the quick shower and he had already dressed for the day in jeans and a blue shirt. His eyes shone with mirth and he gave Alexander a conspiring smile before setting about making breakfast.

"I said I would do that!" Instead of making the breakfast which he had promised his lovers, Bagoas had spent his time talking to Jared.

"I will do it." Hephaestion sensed the relaxed atmosphere and realized Bagoas and Jared had talked. "Why don't the two of you clean up and get dressed? Breakfast will be ready in fifteen minutes."

Jared rose from his chair and began to walk toward his room. "I'll be back in five." Hephaestion was right; taking that shower would do him good.

Bagoas remained seated as he had to wait for Jared to vacate the bathroom before he could take his shower. Alexander was trying to catch his attention by giving him odd looks and, in the end, Bagoas satisfied his lover's curiosity by saying, "Yes, we talked and he promised not to treat me any different."

"Did you think he would shun you for what happened to you in your past?" Alexander sipped more of his now cooled down coffee.

"I was afraid he might," Bagoas admitted softly. "I thought I had dealt with it, and then it comes back and bites me in the butt."

In an attempt to draw Bagoas from his still somewhat depressed mood, Alexander said, "I'd bite your ass any time you want me to. It's a delicious ass, with perfectly shaped buttocks…"

"Alexander!" Hephaestion chuckled and shook his head. "We didn't even have breakfast yet, so behave a little longer."

"We didn't behave in bed just now," Alexander replied, reminding Hephaestion on their recent morning ‘activities’. "You didn't behave when you told me to take you faster and harder…"

Hephaestion gave up; it was going to be one of *those* days.

~~~

Jared stayed close to Bagoas for the rest of the day, giving Hephaestion and Alexander a chance to spend time together in turn. He asked Bagoas to dance, which the younger man did, and they took long strolls along the beach. They talked about the past, the present, and the future. Bagoas began to relax around him and seemed to feel comfortable in his presence.

Jared continued to encourage Bagoas to spend time with him for the next few days and the more they talked, the more Bagoas opened up to him, telling him even more painful details of his past. At the same time, Bagoas also managed to explain the unique love the three of them shared.

Hephaestion and Alexander also talked. They had realized that Bagoas had developed a crush where Jared was concerned and wondered if their lover would end up hurt because of it. They decided to address the matter halfway during Jared's stay.

~~~

"Jared, can we talk to you?" Hephaestion had waited for Bagoas to take his bath. That way, they would have some privacy and didn't have to worry about Bagoas walking in on them unexpectedly.

Jared was sitting on the couch in the living room and had borrowed Hephaestion's laptop to send some messages to his family and band members. He had just sent the last one and looked up at Hephaestion and Alexander, who were in the process of seating themselves opposite of him. He had a feeling he knew what this was about.

"We want to talk to you about Bagoas." Hephaestion would do the talking for now. Alexander had asked him to do so.

"I think I know what worries you." Jared closed the laptop and placed it onto the coffee table. "It's in his eyes each time he looks at me."

"He has a crush on you," Hephaestion confirmed Jared's suspicions. "And we are worried because we don't know how you will react to that. We don't want to see him hurt."

"What are your intentions where Bagoas is concerned?" Alexander asked.

Jared leaned back into the comfort of the couch. "I'm not planning on acting on it, if that's what you want to know. I've seen the love between the three of you and I don't want to mess that up."

Hephaestion felt relieved. "We had hoped you would say that."

"But…"

Jared's but worried Alexander. "But what?"

"Have you considered how Bagoas feels under the rejection? He has shared his past with me and he has told me that he's worried about me treating him different because of it. He might chalk up this rejection to the fact that he's 'damaged goods' as he phrases it."

Hephaestion and Alexander exchanged a look; that thought hadn't occurred to them yet. "The thing is," Hephaestion started, "that it won't work out. Bagoas isn't someone for a one-night-stand. He needs love, unconditional love, and the three of us know that you can't give him that."

Jared nodded his head once. "I know that, but I do think I need to show him that I accept him the way he is and that his past isn't the reason why I choose not to be with him."

"Just out of curiosity, are you gay? Or bi?" Alexander had wanted to know for a while now.

Jared chuckled. "I had a crush on Colin during the filming of Alexander, so that makes me bi, I guess."

"I knew it!" Alexander sounded triumphant, which earned him a displeased look from Hephaestion. "What? I am not inviting him into our bed, am I?"

"Oh, but you thought about it. I know you, Alexander."

Hephaestion's words brought a blush to Alexander's face. "Stop reading my mind!"

Hephaestion grinned and then turned his attention back to Jared, who was watching them with amused eyes. "What are your plans then?"

"I want to talk to Bagoas about this… and maybe I can do something that will show him how much I like him."

"Do something?" Hephaestion's worries returned.

"Nothing physical!" Jared shook his head. "Guys, get your minds out of the gutter!"

"This is because of all the slash we have been reading and writing," Alexander whispered the words so Jared wouldn't catch them. "We really need to stop doing that."

Hephaestion let the remark go. "Jared?"

"Maybe something like a kiss? A kiss can say many things." Jared noticed the relief and approval in Alexander's eyes. Apparently Alexander understood.

Alexander nodded once. "A kiss might do the trick."

"And maybe you'd let me take Bagoas to a gig? Or we could go out? Do some shopping? Something tells me he would like that." Jared had been thinking about this. "Once we sorted everything out and I'm back on the road again, Bagoas could stay with me for a while. Maybe he would like to travel and see the world? The band wouldn't mind."

"That's something for Bagoas to decide." Hephaestion had known that they couldn't keep Bagoas at their cottage forever. Bagoas was still so very young and needed to make something out of his life. "But we are getting ahead of things."

"You're right." Jared watched them closely and realized that sometime during last week, the two – no, three of them – had somehow convinced him that they were for real.

~~~

"Can't you stay longer? I don't want you to leave tomorrow." Bagoas gave Jared a pleading look. Alexander would drive Jared to the airport late tomorrow evening so their guest would make it onto his flight back to the US.

"I can't. I have obligations, appointments…" Jared didn't want to leave, but his life continued. "If it were up to me, I'd stay."

Bagoas smiled weakly at hearing those words. "Do you think we will ever see each other again?" He was trying to be strong, but on the inside, he was crying. Jared had offered him his friendship, and Bagoas had taken it, not trying to go a step further and see if Jared was willing to become intimate with him. Jared's friendship had to do.

"Of course we will! I'll fly you in for one of our concerts and we'll hit the town after the gig." Jared realized the time had come to be completely honest with Bagoas. "You're a very special person, Bagoas, and you're very fortunate to have Alexander and Hephaestion's love, you know that, don't you?"

Bagoas nodded his head and stared as if entranced into Jared's eyes.

"Bagoas, you like me a little too much, don’t you?" Bringing this up now wasn't easy, but Jared knew it had to be done.

"Am I that obvious?" Bagoas lowered his gaze now that he realized he had revealed too much of his feelings.

"Yeah, it's hard to miss." Jared placed a finger beneath Bagoas' chin, raised the handsome face, and reestablished eye contact. "I want you to know something, Bagoas. Had we met under different circumstances, we might have worked out."

Bagoas swallowed hard. "This is because of my past, isn’t it? You don't want to be with a whore."

"No!" Jared insistently shook his head. "That has nothing to do with it!"

Bagoas blinked and searched Jared's eyes for the lie, but didn't find it. Jared was being honest. "Then why…?"

"You have something very precious here – something most people only dream of. You have two lovers who adore you – who love you unconditionally. I can't let you throw that away for one night."

Bagoas blinked; that wasn't what he had expected to hear.

"At first, I didn't get it. I've never seen a threesome work out before, but the three of you were made for each other. You have a crush on me, yes, but those feelings will go away again. What you feel for Alexander and Hephaestion is different though and those feelings will last."

Bagoas was willing to accept this explanation, but needed to ask one more time. "Are you sure this isn't because of…" Jared suddenly leaned in closer and Bagoas' breath caught as those soft lips pressed against his in a gentle kiss. Jared's hand rested at the back of his neck, drawing him into the kiss and Bagoas parted his lips and teeth to allow Jared in.

It was a good kiss – a kiss that made Bagoas' toes curl, but it also made him realize that Jared's words had been true. These feelings didn't compare to what he felt for Hephaestion and Alexander.

Jared slowly released Bagoas' lips, licked the bottom lip as a goodbye, and then studied the stunned eyes. "Would I do that if your past mattered that much to me?"

A gentle and sparkling smile radiated from Bagoas' face. "I think I understand."

"Very good." Jared caressed Bagoas' hair and then pulled away. "Always remember what you have instead of what you think you want."

Bagoas nodded again. "I understand…"

Jared gave Bagoas a look filled with proud adoration. His plan had worked.

"Jared? Get your ass in the car. We are leaving."

Hearing Alexander's voice so unexpectedly made Jared, as well as Bagoas, jump.

"We are making one last stop before I take you back to Athens and we need time to do so." Alexander saw Bagoas' flustered state and realized what had happened: Jared had made Bagoas understand.

"Going? Is it because of the kiss?" Bagoas, panicking, pleadingly raised his hands. "Alexander…"

Alexander quickly placed his hands on Bagoas' shoulders and calmed his lover. "No, this has nothing to do with that kiss." Turning his head, he looked Jared in the eye. "It is time for us to rock the world on her foundations, Jared. I am taking you to Troy."

Jared blinked in surprise. "Troy? But why?"

Bagoas caught on and his eyes widened. "Alexander, you can't…"

"I can. Hephaestion is right, you see. We don't have the right to hide this from the world. I want the world to know how much you loved me, Bagoas, and how much I loved Hephaestion."

"Can someone *please* tell me what this is about?" Jared felt lost and he didn't particularly like that feeling.

"Alexander will take you to his tomb," Hephaestion explained as he stepped out of the shadows and took up his position at Alexander's side. "Through you, he wants to tell the world that Alexander the Great's remains survived the test of time. That's the main reason why he brought you here, Jared."

TBC


Part 9

Jared found himself in the backseat of the car with Bagoas sitting next to him. Hephaestion had grown quiet since Alexander had voiced his intentions to take him to Troy and Jared wondered why that was. Hephaestion, who normally was very balanced, had now become nervous. "Is anything wrong?" His voice broke the silence which had lingered in the car. That silence had begun to become uncomfortable.

Hephaestion drew in a deep breath before answering Jared. "I don't want to go back there, that's all."

"He didn't react very well to seeing my corpse for the very first time." Alexander, who usually sounded cheerful, was now serious and even sounded concerned. "Actually, he suffered a nervous breakdown."

"You did?" Surprised, Jared moved forward on his seat and rested his chin on Hephaestion's back rest.

"Yes, I did, and I don't want to go through that again." Hephaestion gritted his teeth. It had been his suggestion to share this discovery with the world that had put him in this situation. "Did you get through to your friend?"

Jared nodded. "Laeta will meet me there in three hours. That leaves the three of you plenty of time to leave undetected." He had thought about a game plan after Alexander had announced his attentions and he had come up with something that might work. He had called Laeta on the phone and asked him to come to Troy as well. As Laeta lived in Athens, the professor would arrive one hour after they did. Laeta would also give him a lift back to the city, so he would be able to catch his plane.

"And your friend asked no questions?" Alexander studied Jared in the mirror.

"He translated that letter you gave me for me, so he knows something is going on. He just doesn't know *what*." Laeta had given in quickly once his friend had learned that this news concerned Alexander the Great. "I guess this means that we're about to split up and go our separate ways?"

Alexander nodded. "But you are always welcome to visit. All you need to do is give me a call and I will pick you up at the airport."

There was something else though that made Jared feel guilty. "Bagoas, I really wanted to hit Athens with you and take you out."

Bagoas shrugged. He had made his peace since they had shared that kiss. "You already did enough for me."

"No, I want to do this," Jared said determinedly. Then, he had an idea. "We'll be touring Europe in the fall. Why don't you join us then? Come and watch a gig and then we'll go out, just like I promised we would, and the best thing is, you'll get to meet the rest of the band."

"I would like that." Bagoas smiled and nodded once. "I really like that idea."

In the front, Hephaestion and Alexander smiled at each other. Things had worked out just fine.

~~~

"This is it. This is where the entrance to my tomb is situated." This was it; he had done it. He had told Jared where to find his tomb. "If you can, try to make sure they treat our remains with respect. My body should be fine, it is embalmed and safe inside the sarcophagus, and Hephaestion's ashes are safe too, locked inside the bust. But I worry about Bagoas. If they aren't careful, his skeleton will collapse."

"I will tell Laeta to be careful." Jared eyed Alexander closely and saw a distant look in those eyes, which had seen so much in their first life time. "You *do* realize that Laeta will have to apply for permits and funding? This will take time. This won't happen today or tomorrow. This might take months, maybe even years."

"I don't mind that, Jared, as long as they don't destroy anything in there." Alexander had noticed Hephaestion's troubled expression and now made his way over to his lover, who had preferred to stay inside the car. "Not feeling too well?"

Hephaestion focused on Alexander and placed his hands in the blond hair, as he had to feel his lover close and alive. He still hadn't dealt with the nervous breakdown completely. Now that they were back here, visions of the past attacked him. "Take me away from here, Alexander. I can't stay."

Alexander considered his lover's request and looked at Jared, who was still talking to Bagoas. "We will leave in a few minutes. Can you hold on for that long?"

Hephaestion nodded his head once. "Make it quick, Alexander."

Alexander pressed a kiss onto Hephaestion's lips and then rose from the ground. He made his way over to Bagoas and curled an arm around his younger lover's waist. "The time has come to go home, Bagoas. Jared's friend will arrive any moment now and Hephaestion isn't doing well."

Bagoas understood; he still recalled the way Hephaestion had reacted the first time they had visited Alexander's tomb. "May I have a moment in private?"

Alexander removed his arm and nodded his head. Bagoas wanted some privacy and his lover would get it. "Jared, have a safe trip home and I count on you to contact Bagoas in the fall." He was still worried that Jared might disappoint Bagoas one way or the other.

"Don't worry! I will. We already agreed to stay in touch. We even exchanged our email addresses!" Jared squeezed Alexander's shoulder in a playful way. "For what it's worth," he added after a moment's thought, "I believe the three of you are for real."

Alexander smiled a little and then turned around to return to Hephaestion's side, which left Jared alone with Bagoas.

"We'll be in touch, I promise," Jared said as he clasped Bagoas' right hand in between his. "I won't forget you."

"I won't blame you if you do," Bagoas murmured. "You have a life out there, while my life is concentrated here."

"Always remember that what you have is valuable, Bagoas. The love the three of you share is precious." Jared pulled Bagoas in for hug and embraced him tightly. "I have your email address and Alexander's cell phone number. Trust me, I won't forget about my promise."

Bagoas closed his eyes for one long moment and deeply inhaled Jared's scent – which reminded him – "I haven't returned your morning robe to you yet."

"Keep it, if it means that much to you."

Bagoas raised his head from where it had been resting on Jared's shoulder and chuckled.

"This is only a temporary goodbye, Bagoas."

"I believe you," Bagoas replied. He began to untangle himself from Jared's embrace and took a step away from the other man. "We will meet again." Resolutely, he turned around and started to walk toward the car. He had to be strong now.

~~~

"Jared, what is this all about?" Laeta had cancelled his appointments, had hopped into his car, and had driven out to Troy because Jared had told him to do so right away.

Jared had been staring at the distance and had been so lost in thought that he hadn't heard his friend's car approach. He felt strangely alone now that Alexander, Hephaestion, and Bagoas had left. He had come to care for them in the two weeks he had spent in their company.

"Jared?" Laeta had reached Jared's side and wanted to shake his friend now that Jared seemed to ignore him. "Why did you tell me to drive out here? Is this about the letter you gave me?" He had published the letter, had drawn the attention of the academic world, and had begun rewriting parts of the books concerning about Alexander the Great and Hephaestion. Jared's letter had gathered him even more fame and recognition in the academic world.

Jared forced himself to stop thinking of the three men and turned to face Laeta. If what Alexander had told him was true, the academic world was about to be shaken on its foundation.

~~~

Eight months later, the discovery of Alexander's tomb was the most important news on TV and the internet. Jared had fed Laeta all the information the professor had needed and Laeta in turn had vowed to protect the remains of the three historical figures locked inside the tomb. Jared had requested to be kept out of it and Laeta was credited for the find, just like Jared had wanted it. He had no intention of explaining to the press why he had known where to find Alexander's tomb. Laeta did so instead and told the press he had made this discovery after researching all possible burial sites.

Creating an exhibit at the museum that would credit the find took another two months, but in the end, Laeta was satisfied with the way the find would be presented to the public.

Little did he know that he was about to have two very important visitors.

~~~

Alexander felt pleased, and relieved, now that he had a chance to see for himself what had happened to their remains. Laeta had managed to recreate the inside of the tomb and had taken great care in transporting Bagoas' remains. Once everything had arrived at the museum, the experts had recreated the same setting as in the tomb and Bagoas was once more sitting guard next to Alexander's sarcophagus.

"Is that what you wanted?" Bagoas had slipped a hand into Alexander's, as he didn’t want them to get separated in the crowd. It was also his way of showing his support.

"Yes, this will do." Alexander managed a weak smile. The letter, which his corpse had held in his hand, had been removed and given a place of honor, its translation was being projected beneath the glass cylinder which showcased the letter. "They finally know the truth about Hephaestion and me." Alexander listened to what the people circling around the sarcophagus were saying and found that they spoke with the greatest respect of their lives and their remains.

"It was hard on some of the scholars to accept that you were gay," Bagoas commented as he studied Alexander's embalmed corpse through the bullet-proof glass. The curators had taken every possible precaution to ensure their remains were safe and protected.
"I don’t understand why," Alexander admitted. "Why do they need to label me? I loved Hephaestion; it's as simple as that." He squeezed Bagoas' hand and added, "And I loved you – I still do."

Bagoas smiled. "I know you do, Alexander." The crowd was already forcing them to move toward the exit and Bagoas got one last look at Hephaestion's bust, which stood at the head end of Alexander's sarcophagus. /You changed my life, Hephaestion. If only I hadn't been that blind back then./ But he had made his peace with the past.

~~~

Hephaestion had refused to visit the exhibit and had stayed behind at their hotel. Alexander and Bagoas found him nursing a cup of mint tea in the lobby and seated themselves close to him. Hephaestion blinked, as he hadn't expected them to return so quickly. "What is it like?"

Alexander ordered coffee, while Bagoas opted for a glass of tea as well. Alexander's brown eyes fastened on his lover's hesitant ones. "They did well. They recreated the setting inside the tomb." Alexander lacked the right words to describe the experience. "I am glad I told Jared where to find it."

"Speaking of Jared…" Hephaestion quickly changed their subject, as he wanted to get away from discussing the exhibit. "Did you make any decisions concerning his invitation?" Jared's invitation for Bagoas to visit him in London had arrived by email two days ago and Bagoas had been nervous ever since. Hephaestion gathered that Bagoas hadn't thought Jared would keep his promise. "London is only a few hours away."

Bagoas shrugged his shoulders. "I know that, it's just…" Alexander rested a hand on his knee and the gesture made Bagoas smile fondly. "I haven't been apart from you for the last two years."

"And that is exactly why you should do this, Bagoas." Hephaestion felt very determined about this undertaking. "You need to be on your own for a while. You need to find out if you can do this alone."

"But I don't want to be alone. I want to be with the two of you!"

Bagoas sounded just as determined as Hephaestion felt and it was up to Alexander to take the lead. "Bagoas, we will still be here when you get back! It is only for four days!" Like Hephaestion, Alexander felt that it was important for Bagoas to do this. "Go…"

Bagoas gave Alexander a look filled with disbelief. "But I thought…"

"Bagoas, we love you. We will love you when you are in London and we will still love you when you get back. Our love for you won't disappear in four days. Is that what is really bothering you?" Hephaestion had opted for honesty and could tell by looking at Bagoas' face that he had hit the bull's eye. "Do you really think so little of our love?"

"It triumphed over death," Alexander added as he squeezed Bagoas' knee. "Go to London and have a good time."

Bagoas peeked at his lovers' faces and saw genuine concern on them. They wanted him to do this and to grow – to become more independent. "All right then, I will go. But only for four days."

"Don't worry. Just have a good time and we will be at the airport when you get back. We will still love you then." Ignoring any curious looks he was attracting, Hephaestion leaned in closer and kissed Bagoas on the lips. "Our love will never fade."

~~~

"I still think you lost your mind." Shannon had accompanied his brother to the airport, as Jared had been determined to pick their guest up in person. "No sane person calls himself Bagoas!"

"It's his name, *Shannon*, like that's an every day name!" Jared pushed himself up onto the tips of his toes so he could look out over the crowd in search of Bagoas. The two of them had been in touch by email during the last ten months and had deepened their friendship further. Jared felt like he had gained another brother, but didn't tell Shannon that, not now that his younger brother turned out to be such a handful. "Just be friendly toward him. That's all I'm asking for."

"I'll try." Shannon noticed the tall, dark-haired stranger who was heading their way first. Dressed in a long, woolen, black cloak, the stranger looked even taller. "Is that him?" Jared had told him that Bagoas possessed long, black hair and, so far, this stranger was the only one with long, ebony hair.

"Bagoas!" Jared hurried toward Bagoas and closed his arms around the younger man's form. "You're here."

"I hate flying," were Bagoas' first words. "We had lots of turbulence."

"But you made it!" Jared smiled reassuringly at Bagoas. Bagoas had told him that he hated to fly and that he was really not looking forward to flying on his own. "You're here now!" Bagoas pressed against him in the embrace and Jared hugged him tighter. "I'm glad you're here. I've missed you!"

Shannon watched them with curiosity. He couldn't deny that Bagoas was handsome and possessed charisma – after all, he *had* noticed Bagoas at once.

Jared pulled away from Bagoas to present his younger brother to his friend. "Bagoas, this is Shannon." He had already told Bagoas a lot about this brother during their email correspondence.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you." Bagoas felt way more nervous than he looked. He was still anxious about meeting new people, and Jared had told him that Shannon was skeptical where their friendship was concerned. "I am Bagoas." He offered Shannon his hand and wondered if the other man would take it.

Not wanting to be rude, Shannon shook Bagoas' hand. "Jared told me some things about you, but nothing that really tells me who you are." Jared hadn't revealed much about Bagoas, except that they had become friends when he had visited them in Greece. And that was a strange story in itself. Before Jared had left for Athens, Jared had been intrigued, skeptical even about the 'Alexander' who had invited him to stay. Once his brother had returned from that visit, Jared had changed. It was only in small ways, but Shannon had noticed them.

"Well, there isn't much to tell." Bagoas allowed Jared to handle his suit case and followed the two brothers to their car. "Except that I am a dancer."

"A dancer?" Shannon had read Alexander the Great's history when he had learned that his brother would be playing a part in that movie and he *had* heard about Bagoas, who had been a eunuch, dancer, and Alexander's lover.

Bagoas seated himself in the back, while Shannon took the driver's seat. Jared turned around on his seat in order to carry on their conversation. "The gig is tonight, do you feel up for that? I got you a back stage pass just in case."

"I am up for it, thank you, Jared." Bagoas felt Shannon's eyes on him; the other man was studying him in the mirror.

"And after the show, we'll go clubbing!" Jared had thought everything through, as he wanted to make the most of the time Bagoas would spend with him. /And tomorrow, I'll have a surprise for you./ Oh, he really hoped Bagoas would like his surprise!
~~~

The band rocked the stage and Bagoas applauded after they had given their last encore. Jared handed his guitar to one of the roadies and gestured for Bagoas to follow him into his dressing room. "Give me twenty minutes and we'll hit the nightclubs."

"Aren't you tired?" Bagoas seated himself and made a point of staring into the opposite direction when Jared started to take his clothes off. A moment later, Jared disappeared into the small bathroom.

"No, I am all psyched up! Bagoas, would you mind if Shannon tagged along?"

"No, I don't mind at all." After all, Shannon *was* Jared's brother. "By the way, thank you for setting me up in such a nice hotel."

"It was the least I could do." Jared's hair had reached his shoulders by now and washing it took more time than washing his short hair would. Jared was glad to have his hair back though. He hadn't really liked his bald look. "So, what's new with Alexander and Hephaestion? Did they approve of Laeta's decisions? I told him to treat the tomb and their remains with respect."

"Yes, they approved. Alexander and I went to see the exhibit."

"Hephaestion didn't?"

"He was worried he wouldn't handle it so well."

Jared had finished drying his hair and skin and stepped into the dressing room. Within minutes he had slipped into a pair of stone-washed jeans, a black turtle necked shirt, jacket, and leather boots. "I only need to blow-dry my hair and then we can leave."

"Jared?" Bagoas made his way over to the mirror, where Jared was styling his hair.

"Yes?"

"Do you believe us?"

Jared smiled. "Yeah, I believe you – all three of you. You convinced me that you're Bagoas."

Uncertain if he was overstepping any boundaries, Bagoas curled his arms around Jared's waist and rested his upper body against Jared's back. "I still like you a lot, Jared."

Jared turned in the embrace and placed his hands on either side of Bagoas' head. "And I'm still telling you not to throw away what you have for a one-night-stand."

"Can it not be more? More than a one-night-stand?"

Jared sighed and let his fingers travel down Bagoas' jaw line. "You belong with Alexander and Hephaestion. Don't you know that?"

"I do," Bagoas said in a rueful tone. He started to pull away, but this time it was Jared who pulled him close.

"I promise you this, Bagoas, we'll always be friends, and you can visit with me whenever you want. And I, in turn, will come and visit with you in Athens."

Realizing this was the best Jared could offer, Bagoas leaned in closer and returned the kiss Jared had given him almost a year ago. It was a sensual kiss, but one that didn't push for entry or demand Jared to respond to it. "Friends?" Bagoas said eventually.

Jared gave him a grateful smile. "Yes, friends…"

~~~

Bagoas had enjoyed himself at first. Jared had suggested they went to this particular club because of their open-minded view where gays were concerned and Bagoas had approved of the choice – until now. For the past few minutes, a rather bulky fellow had been trying to feel him up and push him into a dark corner. Bagoas was doing his best to move out of the way, but no matter what he did, the hands appeared again and tried to grab his ass.

"Hey, man, back off!"

Bagoas blinked; he hadn't thought someone would tell the buffoon off. His eyes widened further as he saw that it was Shannon who had positioned himself between the two of them, effectively blocking his pursuer's path.

"Can't you take the hint? He isn't interested!" Shannon had watched Bagoas the entire evening. At first because he hadn't completely trusted him, but once the evening had progressed, because he realized that Bagoas wasn't used to these kinds of surroundings. It was beyond him why Jared had brought their guest here when it was rather obvious that Bagoas wasn't looking for a love interest.

The other man reluctantly backed off and then headed in the opposite direction, finally leaving Bagoas alone.

"Thank you," Bagoas said, realizing this incident could bridge the distance between them. He wasn't quite certain if he could have driven the other man off, but he liked to believe so. Thankfully, he hadn't needed to find out; Shannon had driven the guy off instead. Suddenly, Shannon's arm came up around his waist and Bagoas allowed him to guide him to the bar.

"You should be careful, you know. A lot of guys dig your type." Shannon sipped his beer and watched Bagoas ask for tea. The bartender gave Bagoas an odd look, but, because Bagoas looked so fucking handsome, he did his best and managed to find some tea bags in one of the cupboards. Shannon grinned once he realized the effect Bagoas had on the bartender.

"They do? I didn't know that." Bagoas cast a look around and wondered where Jared had disappeared to. He hadn't seen Jared for some minutes now.

"Maybe you should stay close to me tonight…" Shannon didn't fancy guys like his brother sometimes did, but he was secure enough in his manhood to admit that Bagoas *was* handsome and turning a lot of heads. A feeling of protectiveness came over him, surprising him, and he smiled as he watched Bagoas sip his tea.

~~~

Jared had watched his brother rescue Bagoas with a huge grin on his face. He had counted on Shannon to come to the rescue and his brother hadn't disappointed him. Looking at them now, standing at the bar, he saw the change in Shannon's eyes. His brother had accepted Bagoas and would not create any more problems during Bagoas' stay.

TBC

Part 10

"So, what's the big surprise?" Jared had been teasing him all morning, but had refused to tell him any details. All Jared had said was that he believed Bagoas would love this surprise.

"Not yet!" Jared was practically bouncing when he led the way into the hotel's restaurant. He had booked Bagoas a room in the same hotel the band was staying in, so he would always be close. "You're going to soooooooo like this one!"

Bagoas rolled his eyes. "Jared, just tell me." He was about to insist Jared told him when his friend turned him around so he was staring at the back of the restaurant.

"Look familiar?" Jared could barely maintain his mirth now that Bagoas' eyebrows were inching higher. "Seen him before?"

Bagoas blinked. "He looks familiar." At the back of the restaurant partly hidden by large plants sat a dark-haired young man. His hair was short, but not too short, and the large dark eyes were directed at them and indicated the other man had noticed their arrival.

"Francisco! We're over here!" Jared steered Bagoas in the right direction and waved at Francisco Bosch, who had risen from behind the table.

Bagoas blinked again. "Francisco? Jared, are you telling me that…?" He didn’t get a chance to finish his question as, due to Jared's pushing him, they had reached Francisco's table.

"Hello, Jared, so this is the friend you mentioned?" Francisco smiled at the stranger. Jared had called him a few days ago with the request to meet him for a lunch, as a friend who was visiting would love to meet him. Apparently this friend had seen him dance in 'Alexander' and was a fellow-dancer. "Hello, I am Francisco." No matter how much he practiced his English, he always maintained some sort of accent that betrayed he originally hailed from Spain. "Jared forgot to tell me your name though."

Bagoas cringed; he couldn't really tell Francisco his name, now could he? And Francisco looked good, wearing black slacks, a white-button down shirt and a black, velvet jacket. A huge smile seemed plastered to the handsome face and the eyes radiated life and energy.

Realizing Bagoas' dilemma, Jared took charge. "Now, don't laugh, Francisco, but his name is Bagoas, and he is a bit shy."

Francisco managed to hide his surprise, as he didn't want Bagoas to feel uncomfortable. "Now that is a name I don't think many parents are still giving their children." Francisco seated himself again and so did Jared and Bagoas.

The waiter arrived and Bagoas used that moment to draw in a deep and hopefully steadying breath. "I would like some tea please."

Francisco studied Bagoas and liked what he saw. The long, raven hair rested on his shoulders and then danced its way down to the narrow hips. Bagoas had dressed in grey slacks, a white shirt, and a black pullover and the look suited him. Francisco had never tried to keep the fact that he was gay a secret and openly admired Bagoas' handsome features. "Jared told me that you are a dancer too?"

The waiter arrived and served high tea. Bagoas watched with surprise how the waiter placed scones, marmalade, biscuits, and muffins onto their table. After pouring the tea, the waiter left and returned them to their privacy. "Yes, I dance. But I am not trained like you are. I never took classes."

Francisco tilted his head. "Not everyone needs classes. Some are naturals." Bagoas was tall, slender, and possessed a natural grace which made Francisco wonder just what kind of dancer the other man was. "Maybe you would like to get together and dance? I know a studio downtown where we can meet and try some moves." Seeing the surprise in Bagoas' dark eyes, he added, "But only if you want to, of course."

"I want to," Bagoas answered quickly, hoping he hadn't made the wrong impression. "I want that."

Francisco uncovered a pen and pulled a paper napkin close. He scribbled down the address of the studio he used to rehearse in and pushed it in Bagoas' direction. "How about four PM tomorrow?"

"I will be there." Bagoas tucked the napkin into a pocket. Francisco's invitation had surprised him and he gave Jared a thankful look for getting them together.

Jared was nibbling on a scone, which he had topped with marmalade and gave Bagoas a wink to show he understood.

"Jared told me that you liked my performance in the film? It was the first film I did, and probably the last as well. I am a dancer, not a movie actor." Francisco blew onto the hot surface of his tea and waited for Bagoas to reply.

"You did well, especially considering the fact that you didn't have any lines." Bagoas smiled at Francisco and found that smile returned. "You captured your character's essence."

"Thank you." Francisco felt pleased to hear that. For some reason Bagoas' opinion mattered to him – maybe it was due to his name… maybe it was more. The other man possessed something that intrigued him and Francisco hoped he would get to know him better.

~~~

"Thank you for allowing me to meet him." Bagoas had followed Jared into the lobby after Francisco had left.

"He's a very sweet guy," Jared replied. "I think the two of you'll get along just fine!"

"Ah, there you are! I've been looking for you!" Shannon had finally found them! "What are your plans for the evening, Jared?" Today was an off-day, which meant that they didn't have to perform and would get a chance to rest or to do some sightseeing. He doubted Jared would want to go clubbing again after last night's incident.

"I got tickets for ‘Les Miserables’ for tonight." Jared uncovered the tickets from a pocket. "Wanna go, Shannon?"

"Sure, why not?" He was always open for new experiences.

~~~

The evening had been fun. Bagoas had enjoyed the musical and after saying goodnight to Jared and Shannon, he had stripped and slipped between the covers. Reaching for his cell phone – which Alexander had gotten him before he had left Greece – he punched in Alexander's cell phone number. However, it wasn't Alexander who answered the call, it was Hephaestion.

"So do you like London, love?" Hephaestion smiled, forgetting that Bagoas couldn't see him. He had expected Bagoas to call him last night, but took the fact that his lover hadn't as a good sign. Maybe Bagoas had had too much of a good time to think of giving him a call.

"London is just fine and…" Bagoas stalled in order to pique Hephaestion's curiosity.

"And what?"

"I met Francisco Bosch! You know… The actor who played me in the film! He seems like a really nice guy and Jared assured me he is good company. Francisco invited me into his studio tomorrow and I can't wait to see him dance!"

Hephaestion's eyes had warmed with love as he had listened to Bagoas' enthusiastic update. "I am glad you like him."

"But I miss you… And I miss Alexander." Bagoas hadn't missed them as badly as he had thought he would though, and much of that had to do with the fact that Jared kept him busy. He didn't have much time to brood. "Where's Alexander?"

Hephaestion looked out of the kitchen window. "It is a good thing that we live out here and not in the city – he is practicing his sword play."

Bagoas giggled. "I can imagine what that looks like."

"Alexander misses you and so do I… And we still love you."

Bagoas sighed deeply. A part of him had indeed been afraid that they would like things better without him having around. "I will return to you shortly." He only had two days of his stay left.

~~~

Francisco had already started his work out. Dressed in sweats and a T-shirt, he whirled around and didn't notice Bagoas' arrival at first. He tended to lose himself in the music and would forget about his surroundings. But not this time – this time he noticed he had a spectator. "You made it!" He came to a halt and walked toward Bagoas, who was dressed in a similar way. Bagoas was also wearing sweats and a T-shirt, but contrary to Francisco, Bagoas wasn't wearing any footwear. "You dance barefooted?"

"That's the way I always dance. Is that a problem?" Bagoas placed his rucksack on the floor and walked toward Francisco. "As I said before, I am not classically trained. I don't know any ballet."

"That is not a problem." Francisco had selected some songs for their session and pushed the play button. The melody that echoed through the studio sounded oriental. "Why don't you stretch and warm up and then show me what you can do?" He seated himself on the floor, stretched his legs, and watched Bagoas closely. He had been right that first time around – the other man possessed a natural grace which made all his movements look easy.

Bagoas stretched, warmed up his muscles, and then considered what to do. "My dancing is nothing like yours."

"I don't mind." Francisco took a moment to admire the grace and elegance that flowed through Bagoas' frame. "Just show me."

The dance which Bagoas carried out took his breath away. Not because it was technically perfect, but because of the sheer sensuality of the movements. This wasn't dancing – this was seduction – and he couldn't help growing hard during Bagoas' performance.

Bagoas finally came to a halt and, as he panted softly, his eyes sought out Francisco's, to find out if the other dancer had liked his performance.

"You are talented," Francisco said once he trusted his vocal cords to cooperate. "It is a shame that you are too old to be trained, though." Most dancers started at a tender age and, sadly enough, Bagoas was already too old. No one would take him in and train him.

"My dancing is good enough for me and for my lovers. I don't need any special training." With satisfaction, Bagoas registered the surprise in Francisco's eyes at hearing his words.

"Your lovers?" Had he heard correctly?

"Didn't Jared tell you? I have two male lovers." Bagoas decided to tease Francisco just a little and gave him a wink.

Francisco wasn't certain if Bagoas was pulling his leg or telling him the truth – he would ask Jared the next time they met. "Your dancing actually reminds me of the way I danced during 'Alexander'."

/That dance was probably inspired on one I did over two thousand years ago./ But Bagoas didn't speak the words out loud; he didn't need Francisco to know who he was or to convince the dancer that he was dealing with the real Bagoas. He had found his place in the world and was happy being Bagoas, Alexander and Hephaestion's lover.

~~~

After practicing his dancing with Francisco, he had said goodbye and Bagoas had headed into London by himself, enjoying his freedom. He found a nice coffee shop, drank some espresso, and had a bite to eat.

After returning to the hotel, Shannon knocked on his door and Bagoas accompanied the band to their second gig. It was a strange, liberating feeling that was taking possession of him and Bagoas liked this new side to his personality.

And so ended the third day of his stay in London.

~~~

"We'll take you to Heathrow," Shannon announced as Bagoas opened the door for him.

Before he could do anything to stop Shannon, the other man had taken hold of his suit case and was dragging it toward the elevator. Bagoas quickly closed the door behind him and followed Shannon into the lift.

"I'm sorry to see you go," Shannon said once the lift door had closed. "I was beginning to like you." Giving Bagoas a teasing smile, he let him know that they were on their way to becoming friends. He really wished Bagoas had been able to stay with the band longer. "Maybe we'll do this again some time?"

"Why don't you give me a call when you are touring in Greece? Just ask Jared, he has my number."

Shannon extended his hand and smiled at Bagoas when the other man shook it. "You're okay."

"Thank you, I think." Bagoas returned the teasing look.

The doors opened and they stepped out of the elevator. Jared was already waiting for them in the lobby and the three of them made their way into the parking lot. The drive to Heathrow Airport would take them one hour, if there weren't any traffic jams.

Shannon drove while Jared seated himself next to Bagoas on the back seat.

"Did you like staying with us? I did, and Shannon did too." Jared had collected one of Bagoas' hands in his and rubbed the long fingers.

"I loved spending time with you and going to the gigs." The only thing that he hadn't really enjoyed was going to the nightclub, but some good had come out of it, as Shannon had accepted him and started to befriend him.

"I already told him that we're sorry to see him go," Shannon said as he maneuvered the car through the busy traffic. "We should do this again."

"We will," Bagoas said, looking deeply into Jared's eyes. "We will… and that's my promise to you."

~~~

Jared released Bagoas reluctantly from his hold. He had given Bagoas a long hug now that the younger man was about to board the plane. "We'll stay in touch."

Bagoas nodded his head once and placed a chaste kiss on Jared's brow. "We will."

Shannon then stepped up to Bagoas and shuffled his feet. Seeing Jared hug Bagoas made him want to do it too, but he wasn't certain Bagoas would allow that, so he extended his hand instead. "It was really nice meeting and getting to know you, Bagoas. You're okay," he repeated his former statement and gave Bagoas a shy smile.

"Come on, give him a hug! I know you want to!" Jared had learned to read his brother's body language when they had been growing up and he resolutely pushed Shannon into Bagoas' arms.

Bagoas had opened his arms and caught Shannon in them. "You're okay too, Shannon."

Shannon smiled and then took a step away from Bagoas. Bagoas walked away from them, raised his hand, and waved at them. Shannon and Jared watched Bagoas until the other man had disappeared from view. "I'll miss him."

Shannon's words made Jared laugh. "That was my reaction as well when I said goodbye that first time. Admit it, you like him!"

"I do. There's something about him which I like… A certain quality…"

Jared wrapped an arm around his brother's shoulder and started to pull him toward the exit. "Don't worry, we'll see him again. This isn't the last time we saw him." They would keep in touch and meet again – he was sure of that.

~~~

This time around, the gods had mercy on Bagoas. It was a smooth flight into Athens without any turbulence and when Bagoas exited the plane, he felt excited as he was about to be reunited with his lovers.

~~~

"Alexander, stop moving about!" Alexander was driving him crazy. First, Alexander had pushed him to leave their home early and so they had arrived at the airport too early as well. Then, Alexander had taken up pacing and once the display showed that Bagoas' plane had landed, he seemed to be bouncing. Hephaestion shook his head. "What has gotten into you?"

"Bagoas is home again!" Alexander shot him a radiant smile.

"I know that, you silly…" Hephaestion didn't get the chance to finish his sentence as he suddenly found himself with a handful of Bagoas, who had literally jumped him in the center of the arrivals' hall.

Alexander's reaction was instant and he jumped Bagoas in turn. They ended up hugging and kissing each other, not only drawing the other passengers' attention, but chuckles from bystanders as well.

"Let me look at you!" Alexander had finally managed to grab hold of Bagoas' waist and now turned his lover around so he could study his face. "You look great!" The time in London had obviously done Bagoas a world of good.

"Oh, I am so glad to be back!" Bagoas hugged Hephaestion close and buried his face in his lover's auburn hair. "I missed this! I missed you – both of you!"

"Alexander, why don't you collect Bagoas' suit case? Then we can leave for home." Hephaestion thought it smart to direct Alexander's energy in a positive way and Alexander promptly sprinted away. "How was your time in London? Did you enjoy spending time with Jared?"

"I did. I also liked spending time with his brother, Shannon. And then I met Francisco as well! Do you think we can invite them over some time?"

"All three of them? We only have one spare room, my love."

"They can stay at a hotel if necessary!"

"Of course we will. If you want them to visit, we will let them know." Hephaestion fingered a lock of Bagoas' hair as Alexander joined them again, carrying Bagoas' suit case. They had a three-hour drive ahead of them, and Hephaestion reckoned Bagoas would use that time to tell them about his stay in London.

~~~

Bagoas finally grew quiet when Alexander drove up to their cottage. He had been talking non stop, telling them about everything he had experienced in London, but all that now faded into the background.

Alexander parked the car, switched off the engine, and opened the car door. Hephaestion followed his example and both of them turned around when they realized that Bagoas wasn't joining them.

"Bagoas, what's wrong?" Hephaestion returned to the car, opened the door, and waited for Bagoas to get out.

Bagoas drew in a deep breath, stared at the cottage for a long time, and then directed his gaze at Hephaestion and Alexander, who had come to stand beside his auburn-haired lover.

He had done a lot of growing up during these last few years. His life had changed for the better since the moment he had run into Alexander and Hephaestion. They had supported him throughout the time of his healing and had never let him down. Bagoas wrapped one arm around Alexander's waist and the other around Hephaestion's.

"What is it?" Alexander was growing worried as Bagoas continued to act in such an odd way.

"The two of you rocked my world, do you know that?" Bagoas smiled at them and leaned against them, resting his head against Hephaestion's chest. "I am home – I am finally home – body *and* soul."

The end!