H:TLJ & X,WP - As always, this fiction was not written with the intent of infringing on the rights of the holders of HERCULES and/or
XENA. It was written for fun. No profit, other than smiles and pats on the back, are being made via the distribution of this fiction.

The following time line is in between the 6th and final season of HERCULES and after Gabrielle and Xena return from the dead (5th season)
of XENA (but before Xena finds she'd pregnant).

"Recognition "

by Beckers

(1)

"Dinner for one, madam?" the polite well-dressed host asked the tall, slender brunette as she walked into the restaurant. She
appeared slightly distracted, as if she were looking for someone. Yet her beauty, he appreciatively noted, was undeniable as
the woman eventually turned her attention to him and smiled.

"No, my husband will be joining me very shortly. We have a reservation."

"Your name?" he asked, somewhat disappointed there was a spouse.

"Serena. My husband's name is Devcules."

Serena? 'Where have I heard that name before?' he wondered. She wasn't a regular. Most families in this gods forsaken
village couldn't afford to dine out more than once a week, if at all. Even fewer had this lady's obvious charm and breeding.
But Serena?

"It's our anniversary." she answered as if reading his mind, "A special night out.".

The restaurant host studied her for a moment, unable to help himself, then scanned the reservation book in front of him, "Oh
yes, here it is. We have a very nice table for you ..."

Iolaus eyes widened when he saw her. For the first time this evening he couldn't speak. He bowed his head and gave a little
shiver, turning slightly away as if he felt Serena might recognize him. His reaction was enough to make Iolaus' dinner
companion ask if he was ill. Reluctantly, he explained to her who it was he had just seen.

"I can't believe it, Iolaus." Gabrielle faced him from across the small, white-clothed table where they were dining. She was
privately flattered that Iolaus had passed their waiter a few secretive denars (not to mention Hercules impressive name) to
get them such a secluded and prized corner of the restaurant. "I don't remember any of it. I mean, I recall all four of us
meeting here in Cyreneia once and how much fun we had ..."

" ... and how I taught you to dance?" he asked, slightly beguiled but with a grin.

"Oh right," she chuckled, aware of the glint of his warm eyes as they reflected the flame from the candle atop their table.
Now that the woman Iolaus recognized was seated he appeared a little more at ease. "Seems to me I had to avoid your feet
all night, Iolaus." The warrior-bard returned his humor then grew serious again, "But Serena?" Gabrielle shook her head
and very carefully glanced over her shoulder. She was as beautiful as expected. "I don't recollect a single word about
Serena while we were together. And you say Hercules married her?"

Iolaus nodded and lifted a goblet to his lips. He didn't think Gabrielle would recall the event. For the bard and Warrior
Princess, it never really happened.

'Wow.' Iolaus inner mind inexplicably intruded as he looked hard at his date over the goblet, other considerations
momentarily fogging in on the topic of conversation. She had changed. Gone was the long, downy hair which gave Gabrielle
a young, nearly untainted appearance. Now, when her shorter hair fell in just the right way, it made Gabrielle look slightly
mischievous and - dare he think it? - sensual. That and the combination of warrior leathers, a new ability to fight rough and a
rather dangerous looking pair of fighting knives, made for an interesting and very pleasant examination.

The hunter-warrior came into Cyreneia without Hercules. They were going to meet near the boarder of Athens in a week.
He wouldn't have stopped in the village at all, with all its bad memories, if he didn't need supplies.

However, as it turned out, Iolaus was glad he did. Xena and Gabrielle were also here, visiting the village, stopping in
because a friend who lived near by wanted Xena to strong-arm some thugs who were giving him a hard time. They would
show up in the early morning hours, steal one or two of his live stock, then disappear It seemed such a small thing and Xena
did owe the farmer for a kindness he had paid them in the past. "Is Xena about?" Iolaus asked casually from across the
table, attempting to change the somewhat uncomfortable subject of Hercules' lost love.

"She left early for her friend's farm. She's going to be out all night."

"So, I guess that means it's just you and me, hunh?" Iolaus smiled out the corner of his mouth, both teasing and honest in his
interest. He looked steadily at her.

Gabrielle leaned forward with a playful and sultry: "Yeeees." parting her rosy lips.

'Wow.' Iolaus thought again. She had changed and he wouldn't be a red blooded Grecian man if he didn't admit to being
intrigue, "Well," he drawled slightly, "we'll just have to find a few things to do together. After all, Hercules isn't here and
Xena will be out all night ...."

"I'd like that, Iolaus." Gabrielle spoke lowly, her tone holding promise and confidentiality. However, her smile then drooped
ever so slightly as she saw him glance once again over her shoulder at Serena.

"Is something wrong?" Iolaus asked, catching Gabrielle's concern.

"No, not wrong but I'm curious about something. Serena, Iolaus. I understand how Hercules, with the aid of the Chronos
Stone, went back in time and changed things. That's why Xena and I - and history - have no record of the incident. But
what about you?" she met his eyes, "How do you remember it if it never happened?"

It was a good question and he nodded. It deserved an answer. "I didn't at first. Hercules told me about it, what had
happened, then it all came flooding back to me. I thought the same might happen to you once I mentioned it but I guess not."

"But you're a mortal. How could it ...? I mean, why you, Iolaus?"

The hunter shrugged, "Maybe because Hercules and I have been together for so long. We've been bonding as brothers
since we were kids. I think a little of me is in him and maybe, somehow, I managed to pick up a little of Hercules."

"His powers?"

"Well, I wouldn't go that far. But maybe a particle of him is in here," Iolaus reached up to his chest and gently thumped his
heart, his half amulet bouncing at the motion. "It's something we're not really comfortable talking about -- but at times we're
more than just partners."

"Soulmates, maybe?" Gabrielle suggested with a gentle smile, recalling something from their past together.

"Oh, let's not go there, Gabrielle." Iolaus softly laughed and suddenly wanted to pick up his menu and dispense with the
topic altogether.

"It's not anything to be embarrassed about, Iolaus." Gabrielle pressed, "I'm not saying you want to jump each other's bones
or anything. I'm just saying there is a spiritual mate for everyone. It doesn't have to be a physical relationship. Hercules could
very well be your soulmate. Don't you find that attractive in a way?"

"Right now the only thing I'm finding attractive is the rabbit stew written on this menu and," he lowered it, looking over the
top past the table candle, and grinned at her - "the person sitting across from me right now."

Gabrielle bowed her head and blushed. He was very charming and quite the flatterer.

Her sudden bashfulness reminded Iolaus of a past Gabrielle, the young woman who charmed him near Vulcan mountain. He
was glad, despite some of the horrors of she and Xena's adventures together, a portion of Gabrielle's pure heart remained.

"Listen," Iolaus suddenly felt obliged to tell his dinner companion something he had been trying to define for himself since the
day it happened. Unsure, he slid the menu down and across the table, "let me tell you something I've never told anyone, not
even Hercules." He leaned forward, meeting Gabrielle half way, and spoke lowly. "I've been going over it since I recalled
our encounter with The Golden Hind, Ares and those volatile villagers. After Hercules told me he was going to marry
Serena something happened that I can't really understand ..."

"What?" Gabrielle urged.

"When Hercules told me he and Serena were going to wed I felt troubled. I kept swirling it over and over in my head. She
was bad for him and Hercules was making a big mistake. I didn't want to take part in any of it. I kept telling myself that I
had to be true to myself and couldn't participate in something that, in my heart, I knew wasn't right."

Gabrielle thought she understood where this was leading. "And you were correct. His marriage ended so unhappily and he'll
wear the scar Serena left on him forever. Iolaus, your intuition was ..."

"No ... no. You're not following me, Gabrielle. In my mind I was making excuses for the hurt I was feeling. Think about it.
He meets Serena and in a matter of days Hercules is in love and willing to abandon his full time life on the road, helping
people and battling the gods. He gave up his strength for her and probably would have been willing to give up his life as
well. But more than that ..." Iolaus voice faltered at the memory, " ... Hercules was willing to give *me* up too."

Gabrielle's eyes widened as she realized the depth of Iolaus feeling.

"I didn't think of it as Hercules breaking off our partnership -- because he still wanted us to do the things we are doing. He
had Serena's blessing. But to give me up for someone he just met. After all the time we spent together ..."

"But he was married before, Iolaus ..." Gabrielle hesitantly reminded.

"I know. But it was different. We had traveled together and both knew when it was time to settle. But after Deaineira and
the children died, when we hit the road together again, as we did when we were younger ... it felt so right. As if this was
what we were supposed to be doing for the rest of our lives. I wish I knew how to explain it better, Gabrielle. Because I
know how selfish this makes me sound ...."

"I might understand better than you think, Iolaus." Gabrielle stared past him in retrospection, "You devote yourself to
someone and a purpose, almost to the point where you're two people fighting as one person. Then that other part of you
looks away, seeing something that intrigues it, and you're suddenly lonely." Gabrielle straightened and gazed into Iolaus
somber expression, "I'm looking at you right now and thinking how handsome you are and how lucky I am to be with you.
I'm also thinking about what a wonderful catch you'd be for some deserving young woman --" It was her turn to smile out
the corner of her mouth, " -- like me." Then Gabrielle laughed at his sudden nervousness and reached forward, gently
pushing the candle aside, to take one of Iolaus hands, "but I can't help thinking if Xena were to find someone, as unlikely as
that is, and actually wanted to marry and raise a family .... I'd be happy for her but so sad, lost and hurt." She held onto his
hand and brought the other over in a double clasp, "Yes Iolaus, I'd feel abandoned and I'm not sure I'd want to stick around
and watch our life together dissolve away either. I'm not really certain that makes either of us bad, just very human."

'Amazing,' Iolaus thought, 'she does understand.' and probably better than either Xena or Hercules. Not for the first time
Iolaus wondered if it was in both he and Gabrielle's very natures to click together, practically reading each others minds,
because of who they were. Partners and, just maybe, soulmates - as Gabrielle called it - to Hercules and Xena.

One thing Iolaus was certain about right now, he was truly enjoying Gabrielle's company and was glad she and Xena would
be sticking around for awhile. With any luck maybe he and the lovely warrior-bard (and a bard she would always be to him)
would make an even deeper connection - whether it be spiritual, emotional or physical - than they already had. He wouldn't
mind that at all and he genuinely hoped Gabrielle was thinking along the same lines.

With a sigh, Iolaus squeezed Gabrielle's hands and, changing the subject, asked her what she wanted for supper.

He glanced very briefly at the woman, sitting behind his date, as she too looked over her options. Half of him wanted to say
something to Serena but the other part knew better. 'Let it rest, Iolaus ...' came a voice in his head and he agreed. She didn't
know him and there was no point.

Iolaus focus returned to Gabrielle and he met her smile with his own.

*******

CONTINUE