“storytext”> 

Xena waited by
the river impatiently. Hercules was late. Suddenly she heard
footsteps approach. "Did you find her?" she asked without
turning around.

"Find me?
He dragged me," a familiar voice answered. Xena turned and saw
the Goddess of Love herself standing before her. "And it
better be important, I'm late for my facial."

“storytext”>"Aphrodite," Xena had to admit, it was good
to see her again. Hercules was right behind her.

"Come on
sis, when have you ever done something you didn't really want
to?" Herc asked. The goddess shrugged. "Anyways I was
under orders not to tell you what it's about."

“Okay so
I’m here. What’s the deal?” Hercules and Xena sat
down while the goddess reclined.

“Well,
it’s about Iolaus,” Hercules began.

“Curly?
Hey, whatever happened to him? I haven’t seen him in like
months!”

“Actually
it’s been over ten years.”

“storytext”>“Whatever."

“storytext”>“It’s about him and Gabrielle,” Xena
cut in, already impatient. “We need your
help.”

“Get
outta here!” She laughed.

“Sis,
this is serious. I know Iolaus is in love with
Gabrielle.”

“storytext”>“Duh.”

“You
knew?” he asked.

“Hello, I
am the Goddess of Love. Don’t believe everything you hear
about blondes.”

“I think
she’s in love with him too,” Xena said.

“storytext”>“That’s supposed to be news to me? Boy, you
two really are clueless sometimes.” Aphrodite looked at her
brother’s mystification and rolled her eyes. “First
time they ever saw each other. Love at first sight. Textbook
case.”

“That
long?” Hercules asked in surprise.

“Of
course," she answered. "I didn’t even have to send
Cupid for that one. They did it on their own.”

“So
you’ll help them?” Xena asked.

“Help
them? With what? The love is already there.”

“We want
you to give Iolaus his youth back,”Xena said.

“Get
real!”

“storytext”>“Aphrodite," Herc was trying to keep his
patience and use small words. "This is very important. They
deserve a chance to be together.” Aphrodite raised an
eyebrow.

“storytext”>“I’m not following. True love
wouldn’t be stopped by a mere age difference. Certainly not
for my gal Gabby.”

“storytext”>“You’re right,” Xena said. “It
wouldn’t stop her. It’s stopped
Iolaus.”

"I – oh.
Oh!" the Goddess understood at once. "Look, sweeties,
it's not that I don't care. But I just don't think
there's much I can do."

"Don't
be ridiculous, Aphrodite, you're the Goddess of Love. You can
do this for them."

"Actually,
no, I don't think I can."

"You
changed Psyche into an old lady," Hercules
remembered.

"Yeah, but
that was just looks. You want him to actually be young again. And
that's something I'm not sure I can do. Let me think about
it. I'll get back to ya." With that she disappeared in a
cloud of pink smoke. The heroes looked at one another in mutual
understanding. Hey, they'd tried.

“storytext”> 

"Hephy,
you’ll never guess what Herc and Xena want me to do,"
Aphrodite said as she watched her boyfriend work. She was leaning
over a rail.

"Mmm?
What’s that, hon?" He put down the hammer and turned
towards her.

"Herc and
Xena want me to make Iolaus twenty-five years younger, can you
believe it?"

"Iolaus?
Oh, you mean Leandra’s grandson."

“storytext”>"Yeah," she rolled her eyes. She was never
happy when Leandra was mentioned.

“storytext”>"Herc’s sidekick, the one that first got us
together. Course I remember." Hephaestus took off his gloves
and sat down. Aphrodite instinctively came over with some water. He
could certainly manage, but she loved doing little things for
him.

“storytext”>"That’s right," she smiled at the
memory. "I’d almost forgot."

“storytext”>"Twenty-five years younger? That’s
absurd."

"I know.
It’s ridiculous. They know a mortal can’t relive
twenty-five years they’ve already experienced, and they know
we can’t send them back in time."

"So why
are they asking?"

“storytext”>"Well," Aphrodite said as she perched on his
lap. "They’re claiming that since Ares put Xena and
Gabrielle in those ice caves, Iolaus never got his
chance."

"Sounds
like it’s more of an issue for Ares to deal
with."

"You know
he’s off in Rome all the time training
Livia."

“storytext”>"That’s true. And they’re asking for
the sake of love," he observed. Aphrodite turned towards him
surprisedly.

"You think
we should help them?"

"Why not?
They’ve helped us."