Chapter 17
"Gods above!" Jessa cried out as she threw herself onto her back.
"Hercules," she panted, "I don’t believe I let you talk me into doing that! I’ll be sore for a week!"
Hercules chuckled as he stretched out on his side beside her in the grass. His naked torso glistened with sweat.
"Aw, come on, you liked it – you know you did."
"Liked it! Liked it! I’m lucky I survived it!"
Hercules chuckled again as he put a hand around her waist and pulled her closer.
"Hey," he said as he kissed her, "Good things are worth a little extra effort."
"A little extra effort! That’s easy for you to say you half-god hunk you! Maybe you’re used to such exertions, but that just about killed me!"
Hercules leaned over and kissed her again.
"I never said that being a hero was easy."
Jessa pulled off her rolled-leather headband and vainly tried to use it to fan herself.
"But building a bridge! What does that have to do with being a hero!"
"Look around you Jessa – look at the faces of these villagers. When that unexpected flood washed out that gravel bar that they had been using to cross the stream, they were cut off from contact with all the other villages. This is a crafting community – they relied on trade with the others for most of their food needs."
Jessa propped herself up on one elbow as she continued to fan her face.
The men of the village were loading a cart with the tools and excess wood used in the bridge’s construction. Some of the women were moving amongst the men, passing around wineskins to slack their thirst. Giggling and squealing children ran back-and-forth over the new bridge in excitement. Everyone had smiles on their faces and there was much laughter.
"They needed that bridge to survive, Jessa. In their eyes – you are a hero."
"Oh, yeah? Then why don’t they send some of that wine this way? I’m one hot, parched hero!"
She sat up and began waving about the hand that held her headband.
"Hey! We’re thirsty over here!" she shouted, "Oops!"
Jessa’s sweaty hand lost its grip on the headband and it went sailing through the air – smacking one of the men right in the forehead. His hat went one way – he went another.
"Oh, no!" Jessa was on her feet and running.
She skidded to a stop at the fallen man’s side.
"Oh, I’m sorry! Are you hurt?"
The man was sitting up, but he was shaking his head, trying to clear it.
"No, I’m alright," he said, "I think." He touched his forehead with one hand and then looked at his palm, as if checking for blood.
"I’m so sorry!" Jessa said earnestly, "Here, let me help you!"
She took his arm and helped him climb to his feet.
"I don’t know what happened! One minute it was in my hand, and the next, it went flying!"
The man smiled uncertainly at her. "It’s okay miss, no harm done." He retrieved his hat and went back to join the others – still shaking his head, but it had nothing to do with clearing his head.
Jessa picked up her headband and looked at it in wonder. "Who’d have thought a round do-hickey could fly so far!" Her face grew reflective. "I wonder…" Then she frowned and shook her head. "Nah!" (Big grin again Xena fans!)
Hercules was covering a smiling mouth with his hand.
"What?" Jessa asked, perplexed.
Hercules just grinned and dismissed it with a wave of his hand. "Nothing!"
Jessa shrugged her shoulders. "Whatever. But I’m still thirsty!"
She took a bulging wineskin offered her by a passing villager. "Thank you," she said with a smile.
Throwing her head back, she guzzled the wine eagerly.
Hey!" Hercules exclaimed as he made a grab for the quickly deflating wineskin, "Save some for me!"
Jessa turned her back to him and tucked the wineskin against her belly.
"No! It’s mine! Go get your own!"
Hercules grabbed her from behind and reached around her for the wine. Jessa squirmed and tried to block him with her shoulder.
"Come on Jessa! Don’t hog it all! I’m thirsty too!"
Jessa hooked a foot around one of Hercules’ ankles and tripped him. She then ran a few yards away and resumed her guzzling.
Hercules pushed himself up from the ground with his arms and looked at her from under lowered brows as he spit the grass out of his mouth.
"Alright, Jessa’s-inner-child," he said dangerously, "Get ready to meet Hercules’-inner-monster."
He stood up with slow deliberation. Jessa watched him cautiously as she slurped the wine, but did nothing. Hercules planted his feet as if he were a sprinter preparing for a race. Still Jessa did not move.
With a roar – Hercules launched himself – with enough force that he reached where Jessa was in a single, gargantuan leap.
Jessa, however, was no longer there. Hercules landed facedown in the grass again.
Jessa, standing just a few feet away, paused in her wine consumption long enough to examine him critically.
"Not bad," she judged, "Your execution and form were excellent – however, your landing leaves much to be desired – I’d give it an 8."
Glowering at her, Hercules climbed to his feet – there were grass-stains on his chest and nose, and a small blue flower was pasted to his chin by its own juices. He began advancing on Jessa with steady deliberation. She hid the wineskin behind her and backed up, maintaining the distance.
"Oooo… I’m scared!" she said mockingly, "The big, bad waffle-butt monster is gonna get me!" (I didn’t think up this term myself – I stole it from the Hercules 1998 calendar – it refers to his unusual, trademark woven-leather-strip pants. I loved it so much, I just had to find a place to use it!)
Hercules said nothing – he just continued his advance. Jessa’s face showed no fear.
"Iolaus was much more of a challenge than you!" she said haughtily.
Suddenly, Hercules leaped. He caught Jessa around the waist, imprisoning her in his arms.
He looked at Jessa with sudden suspicion.
"Wait a minute, that was too easy – what are you up to?"
Jessa just looked at him with a superior air.
"I’m sure I don’t know what you mean."
Hercules eyes narrowed. He reached around her and snatched the wineskin out of her hands. He looked at her with disbelief as he shook the bag.
"Jessa! It’s empty!"
"It is? Ohh – so sorry – and it was so delicious too!" She shook her head sadly as she tisk-tisked.
"Jessa! That was a whole bag!"
She shrugged. "Well I was thirsty!"
"But what about me? I’m thirsty too!"
She shrugged again. "Guess you’ll just have to go get one for yourself."
"But everyone else is gone!"
Jessa looked over her shoulder. It was true – all the villagers had left.
"Oops!" she said.
"Jessa," Hercules said growling, "I’m gonna get you for this!"
"Oh, really?" she said, her attitude still haughty, "What are you gonna do? Take it out of my hide?"
Hercules scowled at her. "Something like that – I’ll just have to take it out in trade!"
"And what, pray tell, does that mean?"
"This is what it means!"
He abruptly crushed her body against his and proceeded to consume his her lips as greedily as she had the wine. As he guzzled her, she wrapped her arms around his neck and guzzled in return.
Hercules broke the kiss. He looked at her and smacked his lips in satisfaction.
"Mmm, good vintage!" he remarked slyly.
"It gets better," Jessa breathed thirstily.
"I’ll be the judge of that," Hercules informed her.
He swept her up off her feet, into his arms, and walked as they kissed. Jessa seemed determine to see that he got his fair share in trade.
Hercules broke the kiss again. He looked at Jessa, his brow furrowed in perplexity.
"You know, I think there’s something not quite right about that wine."
Jessa looked at him quizzically.
"What?"
Hercules frowned as he tried to put his finger on it. Then his face lit up.
"I’ve got it!" he cried.
"What?" Jessa asked, "What’s not right?"
"This wine should only be served – chilled!"
Jessa only looked at him, still puzzled – until she suddenly realized where they were.
"Oh – no!" she shrieked.
"Oh – yes!" Hercules said with a wicked grin.
And he threw her off the bridge.
Hercules leaned casually on the bridge’s railing while he watched Jessa sputter and splash in the river below.
"Now, what was that you were saying about Iolaus?"
"Hercules!" she shouted, "You big, overgrown bully!"
"Coming from you," he said with a grin, "I’ll take that as a complement."
Abruptly, pivoting on one arm, he vaulted the bridge’s railing and plunged feet-first into the stream beside Jessa. As his momentum began to pull him underwater, he grabbed her around the waist, dragging her under for a second dunking. When Hercules hit the bottom, he let go of Jessa and pushed off with his feet, rocketing back up to the surface and leaving Jessa behind. He treaded water, waiting for her to emerge.
Jessa’s head broke through to the surface. Sputtering and choking, she splashed and struggled to keep her head out of the water like a novice thrown into the water for the first time.
"Oh, no you don’t," Hercules said with a wise grin, "You can’t fool me with such amateurish theatrics – I know you can swim!"
Jessa slashed at the water with her hand – throwing a splashing wave at Hercules.
"You beast!" she shouted. She swam for the shore. Hercules followed.
Jessa emerged from the water and climbed the slippery bank back onto the grassy meadow. She was still sputtering and trying to get the wet hair that was plastered onto her face out of the way when Hercules stepped up beside her.
"Hercules!" she exclaimed – she didn’t need to say anymore – the complex meanings behind that one word was conveyed by the inflection of her voice.
He raised his eyebrows, threw up his arms, and shrugged. "Well, you said you were hot!"
"Oh! Well, excuse me if I don’t fall all over myself trying to express my undying gratitude!"
"What’s the matter, ‘little miss prankster’ – you can dish it out, but you can’t take it?"
With a growl of indignity, Jessa flung herself at Hercules. He grabbed her by the wrists and wrestled with her. Within seconds, he had her arms pinned behind her back and her body in the vice-like grip of his arms. Nose-to-nose, she growled and snarled through her teeth at him as she continued to struggle.
"Sorry," Hercules said with a laugh, "This is one battle you won’t win!" No matter what she did, she could not break his greater-than-mortal-strength hold. (Gee – doesn’t that sound like something you would find on a can of hair spray? Or denture adhesive?)
"Damn-it-all-to-Tartarus Hercules!" she cursed.
Hercules gasped.
"Jessa!" he exclaimed, shocked, "Such language from a lady!"
"I’m no lady!" she fired back, "I’m a warrior!"
"Well, I’m forced to agree with the first half of that statement, anyway," Hercules stated dryly.
Jessa gasped in outrage and re-doubled her efforts to free herself.
"Give it up, Jessa," he said grinning.
Suddenly he was kissing her. Half-smothered squeaks of protest escaped past the tight seal of his lips to hers – but only for a short while – a very short while.
When Hercules released her from the kiss, he looked at her with a superior smirk.
"See, I’ve won this one, Jessa."
She said nothing – she just reached for him with her lips. It was the only thing she could use to reach for him anyway since she was still pinned in his arms
Jessa pulled back from the long kiss.
"Besides," she whispered breathless, "Who said you won?"
"What’s that supposed to mean?" Hercules returned, equally breathless, but with a confident smirk on his face.
Jessa stomped one booted foot firmly on the ground and twisted it on its heel.
"Look," she said.
Hercules looked down.
There, sticking out from the tip of her boot, was a wickedly sharp dagger blade.
Hercules looked at her in surprise.
"Jessa!" He shook his head. "You and your knives!"
She arched her brows and shrugged. "They’re my thing – what can I say? So – as you can see – I let you win."
"Actually," Hercules remarked as he finally released her, allowing her to wrap her arms around his neck as he pulled her in for another kiss, "I think we both won."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Hercules and Jessa’s wet clothing lay draped on rocks and branches surrounding the fire. Hercules and Jessa lay draped on each other as they snuggled close to the fire, naked, for warmth against the chill night air.
Hercules idly stoked Jessa’s arm as he buried his face into her neck and gently kissed her – not to arouse, just for the simple pleasure of the feel of her soft skin against his lips.
"Jessa," he whispered as his lips brushed her ear, "You’re being awfully quiet – is there something wrong?"
She reached out and took the large thumb of one of his hands in both of her small hands and cradled it up to her chest.
"Jessa," Hercules said gently, "What is it?"
Without releasing his hand, she rolled over onto her back and looked into his eyes.
"Hercules," she whispered, "I’ve made up my mind."
He looked at her blankly for a moment before it clicked in.
"Oh, you mean…"
"Yes. I know we still have a little more time together," she said stroking his face, "But a few more days really won’t make any difference.
"Besides, " she said, "I’m not looking forward to it. I’d just as soon get it over with." Her face was etched with pain.
Hercules stroked her hair. "I understand. It’s all right – we’ll go to Aphrodite’s temple in the morning. In the mean time – try to get some sleep."
Jessa shook her head. "I know I won’t be able to – would you stay up with me?" She sounded like a child frightened by a bad dream.
"Of course," Hercules said. He kissed her on the forehead.
However – although she may have sounded like a child needing comforting – it wasn’t a child’s comforting she needed.
She reached up to him with her arms and lips – drawing him down, to cover her trembling body.
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