"Well, for starters, what do you think about moving to Rhy'Din?" he asked her abruptly, trying to hide the smile from his face. It made sense, after all. Most of the people she cared about and that she considered family lived here, not back on Earth, and with Hydra defeated, there wasn't much need for her in New York right now. Maybe it was time for the Black Widow to retire - or at the very least, to take some well-deserved time off.

"Really?" But it wasn't disbelief or rejection of his idea on her face or in her voice ....it was hope. Nat had quietly been holding onto the idea of maybe moving to Rhy'Din, to be closer to the people she considered family. She knew Clint would be a little put out, but he was well-settled and it was only a portal hop away. "You'd really do that for me?"

There wasn't much he wouldn't do for her, even if he didn't say so out loud ....yet. "It might take some getting used to on my part, but yes. Why not?" His smile softened as he turned serious, giving her hands a soft squeeze. "Nat, I love you. There isn't much I wouldn't do for you. Don't you know that?"

She stared at him for a long moment, her gaze softening all the while until there was the woman he'd uncovered on their honeymoon - the girl still inside her who didn't show herself often, but who drove everything with a gentle hand. "I love you," she answered in kind, her voice barely a whisper. "I really do, Col, I love you."

He smiled in response to her declaration of love. "I know," he replied. He didn't have to hear her say it to know that; he could already see it in her smiles and kisses and caresses and even in the way she looked at him when she didn't think he noticed. He proved his own point by brushing a soft kiss to her lips and nudging her nose with his own. "Whatever we decide, we'll decide it together."

"Sure, Captain Solo, let's do that." The wry warmth had returned to her voice as he kissed her, despite Coco's mild complaint about being wedged between them as they shared a kiss. "I guess we talk to Steve and Lucy and find out where we can buy a house around here, then."

There might not be much call for spies in Rhy'Din, but he was confident they'd find some way to earn a living here, and in truth, that was the least of his worries. "I guess we do. The question is do we want a house big enough for a family, or just for the two of us?" he asked, half-knowing the answer to that question already.

There were few things that Nat couldn't get complete control over before they registered on her face, but the sudden fall of her expression from a smile to a horrified frown should have been all the answer he needed. "You ....you don't want it?"

"Do you want it?" he asked, turning the question back around on her. Of course, he wanted the baby, but did she" He was offering her a different kind of life than that of a spy and assassin, but was it what she wanted" He had to be sure. He didn't want to force anything on her that she didn't truly want for herself. "Nat, I love you. I want to be with you, whether we have a family or not. I know it's a shock, but do you want the baby' Do you want to be a mother?" he asked her point-blank.

"Yes!" It was a blurt, but it was a definite response. "Yes, I want this baby, our baby! I'm going to be a terrible mother, but that's fine, because they'll have you to stop them being a screw up!"

Colin laughed, but he wasn't so much laughing at her as he was at her response to the prospect of being a mother. It was just so Nat. Everyone else around her knew how amazing she was. Why couldn't she see it for herself" "Okay, okay. No argument here. I never thought I'd be a father either, you know. We'll fumble through it together," he told her, like they did everything else.

"We're gonna have to," she said, absently rubbing Coco's ears. She paused, glancing toward the door. "I guess I should apologize to Lucy. I think I might have scared the doc a bit."

"I'm pretty sure she's heard worse," he said, chuckling. "So, a house for a family then. Do you think they'll have us at Maple Grove, or should we look elsewhere?" he asked further.

"I think we have to ask the Grangers if we wanna live on the Grove," Nat mused. "And probably actually buy the house, too - I doubt they'll extend the honorary Grangers thing to us just because we know the Storms. But, uh ....I think I'd be happier living closer to them if we can?"

"I'll talk to Steve about it later," he said, though Steve would likely refer him to Johnny who would refer him to Jon who would refer him to Humphrey. The Grangers took their peace and solitude seriously and rarely let anyone who wasn't family move in without serious consideration. Then again, there was an open invitation to any and all who were in need of a safe haven, but that hardly defined Nat and Colin.

"Or ....or we could go and talk to the Old Man ourselves," Nat suggested warily. She'd met Humphrey once or twice; he knew who she was, at the very least. It seemed like a more respectful idea to talk to him directly, than to use their connections to add an emotionally manipulative element into their pitch.

"We could," Colin agreed. "We'll need his permission if we're to move here, and perhaps he'll have some insight into how we can earn a living," he said, though there was no real hurry. It would presumably be some months before their child was born, which was plenty of time to sort things out.

"So it ....it sounds like we have a plan," Nat said quietly, relief coloring her tone. "And an explanation as to why you have been all over me since we got back from Malta." This was said to Coco, who simply licked her cheek happily.

Colin chuckled. "Sometimes I think she loves you more than me," he said, though it hardly mattered. He was glad Coco had taken to Nat so well and vice versa. He wanted both his girls to get along with each other, after all.

"Hey, girls gotta stick together," was Nat's reply. She scooched Coco off her lap, rising onto her feet to pull Colin up with her. "So ....I guess my figure's gonna go to hell pretty soon."

Colin smiled, his arms going around her waist as she pulled him to his feet. "I doubt that will change my feelings about you," he assured her, imagining a pleasantly plump and pregnant Natasha in his head. Somehow, he found that image in his head almost as adorable as the vision in his arms. "I love you, Nat," he told her again, for perhaps only the second time since they'd met. It wasn't that he didn't love her; only that he had trouble properly expressing that love in words.

"It had better not change your feelings, because you're stuck with me now," she reminded him in a slow drawl, rising onto her toes to brush a kiss to his mouth. "I'm sorry I freaked out. It's a big thing to find out that I'm not the way I always thought I was, you know?"

"Nothing will ever change my feelings for you, love," he assured her, before returning her kiss with a tender kiss of his own. He smiled at her apology, looking more amused than upset. "I expect it would be a bit of a shock," he said. More than a bit really. "But hopefully a pleasant one?"

"Ask me again when I can't see my own feet," she suggested impishly. "C'mon, I should apologize to Luce before she drinks herself into a stupor and worries Steve."

"Somehow, I think Lucy is made of a little stronger stuff than that," he remarked, with another kiss, this time to the tip of her nose before releasing her. "Congratulations, Nat. You're gonna be a Mama," he told her with a soft smile.

"And you're going to be a Papa," she countered, sliding her fingers between his. "Think you can handle the screaming and the crying and having a baby to look after as well?"

"I thought you were saving that for Martin's graduation?" Nat teased in amusement, not bothering to correct her stance. She was comfortable leaning against Colin, and to be honest, she'd seen Steve and Lucy in any number of strange but endearing positions over the years.

"Martin isn't going to graduate for a while," Steve pointed out. "I'm sure we can get another bottle to replace it," he added, knowing all he had to do was ask Tony for one or buy one himself. "If this isn't a special occasion, I don't know what is," he said, as he searched the kitchen drawers for a corkscrew.

"I won't argue with that," Colin agreed with a grin.

"How far along do you think we are?" Nat asked Lucy quietly.

Lucy blinked, rubbing a hand through her short hair. "Oh, I don't know," she admitted. "I don't know when you two started sleeping together, do I" But if I had to guess, going by the levels in the blood test ....somewhere between twelve and sixteen weeks."

Colin coughed at Lucy's blunt remark. He wasn't about to share the details of what they did in private or when they had started sleeping together. If one did the math, they could figure it out for themselves, after all. They hadn't known each other very long, but long enough, apparently, to make a baby.

Steve smirked at his wife's bluntess, too, but made no excuses. She was a doctor, after all.

"You said it probably had something to do with the Nexus," Colin pointed out, knowing Nat had been traveling back and forth from Rhy'Din for years before she met Colin.

"I don't mean the Nexus impregnated your wife, Colin," Lucy pointed out with a grin. "That's all you. But the Nexus is kind of sentient. It might have just decided to fix the fertility issue when the two of you first came through together. It has whims sometimes."

"What I mean is, perhaps the Nexus ....fixed the issue before we met," Colin suggested, though it was probably a moot point. "There's no chance the bloodwork is wrong, is there?" he asked further, not wanting to get his or Nat's hopes up for nothing.

"I ran the samples four times," Lucy assured him. "Mainly because I know that if I got it wrong, Nat might possibly try to remove my brain via my nose."

Natasha snorted, rolling her eyes. "I wouldn't do any permanent damage," she pointed out.

Lucy chuckled. "True. But no, you're probably right, Colin. I don't know much about interdimensional physics, so I couldn't say."

"What does it matter when it happened?" Steve asked, the question followed by a loud popping sound as he got the cork out of the bottle.

Colin shrugged. "It doesn't really. I'm just curious about this Nexus of yours," he pointed out, not that it mattered.

Steve procured four glasses from the cupboard and started to pour. "The Nexus is how I ended up here," he told them.

"Whatever it is, it has a somewhat whimsical sense of humor," Lucy mused, passing the glasses to Colin and Nat as Steve poured them. "Although I'm not sure even the Nexus could have predicted what would happen in throwing Steve at me. Almost literally, as it turned out."

"How'd that happen?" Colin asked, having heard bit and pieces of the story, but not all of it in its entirety. He was still learning about Rhy'Din and the Nexus and knew he had a lot to learn if he and Nat were going to move here.

Steve furrowed his brows at the question. "I'm not sure exactly."

"All we've got to go on are anecdotes, finding the patterns in the stories people tell about being picked up by the Nexus," Lucy explained. "That pattern would suggest that the Nexus responds to need - the majority of people who have ended up on Rhy'Din unexpectedly have found something here that makes their lives better."

Steve smiled at Lucy's explanation. "As for me, I found Lucy. It was only later that we learned she was related to Peggy," he explained, before realizing Colin probably had no idea who he was talking about. "Sorry, it's a long story," he said, apologizing. "Anyway, what Lucy says is true. The Nexus seems to somehow know what people here need and sort of gives it to them."

"Or at least it puts them in a position to find it." Lucy shrugged. "We can't really complain. Without the Nexus, Steve and I would never have met."

"We might have ....eventually," Steve pointed out. What with Tony Stark being Liv and Lucy's half-brother and Peggy their great aunt, but it certainly would have taken a lot longer, if it had even happened at all. "I gave up trying to figure it all out a long time ago," he admitted with a shrug. He lifted his glass of bubbly to toast the couple's good news. "Shall we?"

"Absolutely," Lucy agreed, raising her own glass. "To Nat and Colin - congratulations on the whole married with children thing."

Nat laughed as she raised her own glass.

"I'll drink to that," Colin said, lifting his own glass with a sideways smile at Nat.

"To happily ever-afters," added Steve, showing his old fashioned preference for stories with happy endings, especially where his friends were concerned.

There was a multitude of clinking noises as glasses touched, and silence for a moment after as everyone sipped. Then Lucy, who loved to be in on everyone's business anyway, piped up again.

"So what are you going to do now" You can't raise a baby in the A.E.G.I.S. H.Q."

Colin arched a brow at Lucy's continued bluntness and turned a glance at Nat, feeling it was up to her how to answer that question. They weren't entirely sure what they were going to do yet, but they had seemed to have decided not to raise their child on Earth.

Steve looked between them, sensing something had already been decided, though he wasn't sure what that was. He knew Nat well enough, though, to feel comfortable in making a suggestion. "You could always live here. On Rhy'Din, I mean. New York is only a portal hop away if we're needed."

Nat caught Colin's glance, smiling gently. She knew Steve and Lucy would be all over any hint of what they actually were hoping for, but this was something she actually wanted to try and achieve without their help. A surprise for them, as much as a reward for herself and her new family. "We're thinking about it," she said carefully. "There are a lot of things we have to talk about and plan for, and ....well, we only found out less than an hour ago. Cool your jets, doc."

Steve knew better than to try and convince Nat to move to Rhy'Din. If and when she made that decision, she'd do it on her own and with Colin. It was only right, as he was her husband. "You know you're always welcome here," he said, looking to each one in turn. "Both of you."

Colin smiled, getting the hint that Nat didn't want to divulge their plans just yet - not until they were sure anyway. He appreciated the way Steve and Lucy had made him a welcome part of their family, though they hardly knew him. "We appreciate that, but we have a few things to sort out before we make any final decisions," he said, reaching for Nat's hand to link his fingers with hers.

The redhead hesitated for a moment, but this was a decision that didn't need much thinking about. "I, uh, I think I'm going to resign," she said thoughtfully. "Stay as a consultant, not a full-time member of the team. Because I'm ....I'm married, and we're going to have a baby, and ....I don't want to neglect my-my family just because that's what I've always done."

"That makes two of us," Colin said, smiling at Nat and giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. It wasn't like either of them was hurting for money - at least, not for the time being - and they had a lot to think about and sort out.

Steve looked over at Lucy, a small smile playing about his lips. "I think Hell just froze over," he teased, though he looked pleased by Nat's decision. "Does this mean we'll be seeing more of you?"

Reassured that Colin had independently come to the same decision himself, Nat relaxed, squeezing his hand in turn. She smiled, tilting her head toward Steve. "Could be, yeah," she said, though she wasn't making any promises. But if she got what she wanted, Steve might be seeing a lot more of his friend.

Lucy's smile was quietly proud of their friend. "Well, one thing I do know," she said confidently. "That child is going to want for nothing with you two in charge of it."

Colin chuckled at what Lucy was saying. "Maybe, but we don't want to raise a spoiled brat either," he said.

"Not spoiled," Steve pointed out. "Just loved." He wasn't sure what Colin's childhood was like, but three of the four of them there had had less than happy childhoods and seemed determined to make sure that wasn't repeated with their own children.

"Hey, I can break up a fight between Thor, Ironman, and Captain America," Nat pointed out. "I think I can handle a kid." Which was a world away from what she had initially said about her prospects as a mother.

Steve laughed at her remark. "The kids adore you, Nat," he reminded her. "I'm sure you're gonna make a great mom," he said, believing in her even when she didn't believe in herself. "Come here," he said, moving to his feet and opening his arms for a brotherly hug.

"Oh god, you're gonna be all over the bump when it appears, aren't you?" Nat drawled, but she was already rising to take Steve's hug with a grin.

Lucy looked over at Colin. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hug you," she assured him. "Yet."

Colin chuckled, looking both relieved and alarmed all at once, not because Steve was hugging Nat, but because Lucy seemed to imply he was getting one from her sooner or later. "Thanks for the warning," he said, moving to his feet. He got the feeling they were being very gently kicked out to celebrate in private.

Meanwhile, Steve was whispering something in Nat's ear while he offered that hug. "I'm happy for you, Nat."

Wrapped up in Steve's hug - because, damn, that man gave good hugs - Nat shuddered just a little, letting him understand how scary the idea of being a mother was for that one brief moment. Then she drew herself under control, squeezing him gently. "I'm happy too."

"Anything you need, we're here for you, okay?" he added, for her ears alone, though he knew Lucy would concur, and Colin would probably appreciate the gesture. She was family, after all, and family took care of each other.

Nat nodded, smiling as she drew back. "I'm lucky to know you, Steve," she said quietly. "Thanks."

"The feeling is mutual, Nat," he said, pulling away to give her space. Though neither had any family of their own, they seemed to have claimed each other as part of their chosen family. Steve turned to Colin, not forgetting him, and offering a hand. "Congratulations, Colin. I expect we'll be seeing more of you."

"I expect you will," Colin replied, returning that handshake.

While behind the men, given permission tacitly by the mere fact that a hug had already happened, Lucy dragged Nat into a hug of her own, murmuring a little advice about heartburn into her ear in the process.

Once the hugs and handshakes and congratulations were through, Colin reached for Nat's hand to reclaim her. "We'll be in touch," he said. "Thank you both for everything," he added, waiting for Nat to head toward the door.

"You're family," Lucy said easily, walking with them toward the door with Steve's hand firmly in her own. "That's all there is to it."

Nat chuckled, rolling her eyes. "Thanks all the same, but don't tell Stark that," she suggested.

Steve laughed, knowing Tony meant well, even if he did grate on his nerves most of the time. "Mum's the word," Steve replied, locking his lips with an imaginary key and throwing it away. Whether she was talking about his remark about family or the news that Nat was pregnant, she could be sure Steve wasn't talking. He might be honest, but he knew how to keep a secret.

"We'll see you 'round," Nat told them, drawing Colin out through the door and into the sunshine, just as a whining voice from the upper level announced that the twins were awake.

Lucy sighed, laughing. "Perfect timing."

"You knew the peace and quiet wasn't going to last forever!" Steve said with a laugh, as he tossed a wave to their departing friends and turned back around to check on the no-longer napping twins.

As the door shut behind them, Nat turned to look up at Colin. "So, Mr. Prescott," she said curiously, "how do you feel about visiting a grumpy old man?"

"I thought we just got finished visiting an old man," Colin teased back, though he didn't think Steve grumpy in the least.

She laughed, looping her arm about his waist, her other hand busy getting a decent grip on Coco's leash. "He's only technically older than me," she pointed out.

"You two are pretty close," Colin said, more an observation than anything else. There wasn't a jealous bone in his body, at least where Steve Rogers was concerned. The man was obviously devoted to his wife and children and seemed to think of Nat as a sisterly figure.

"Yeah, I'm not entirely sure how that happened," she admitted as they headed for the lane. "I guess because we worked together so much at S.H.I.E.L.D., we got to know each other pretty well. He needed a friend."

"And you didn't?" Colin asked, nudging her arm gently, a soft smile on his face. He knew she was close friends with Clint Barton, too, but he hadn't seen her with him as much as he had with Steve.

She huffed out a quiet laugh. "I guess I did," she shrugged. "Clint has Laura and the kids, he has done ever since I've known him. Steve was all alone, and so was I. It made sense. And no, I have never wanted to get in his panties, so shush on that score."

"Yeah, we've just left Steve and Lucy," Nat told him, glancing at Colin for a moment before plunging on. "Actually, Mr. Granger ....we were wondering if it would be possible to speak to your, uh ....grandfather" The elder Mr. Granger?"

"Jon," he insisted with a friendly smile. "And you mean my uncle. Great Uncle, actually. Humphrey." He arched his brows curiously. "What's this about' Nothing too serious, I hope."

"Actually, we were hoping to talk to him about the possibility of leasing a home here at the Grove. It seems a safe place, and it's close to friends," Colin offered, though he wasn't sure just how much Nat wanted him to say.

"We don't have anyone but friends," Nat added quietly, glancing down as Coco followed Cosmo around Jon's legs, threatening to tie him up in both leashes if he didn't pay attention.

Jon's attention was distracted momentarily by the dogs, as he worked to untangle himself from the leashes. "Cosmo, sit!" he commanded, and the dog did just that, though his tail was thumping against the ground in excitement. Jon rolled his eyes. "He's like this every time there's another dog around," he said, making excuses for the dog. "My uncle is home, but I'm not sure if he's up to visitors. If you want to wait a few minutes, I'll go check," he offered.

"If he's not up to it, we can come back another day," Nat assured him with a nod. To be honest, she hadn't expected even the possibility of meeting with Humphrey Granger today.

"It's okay. It'll only take a minute. Would you like to keep an eye on Cosmo for me?" he asked, offering Colin the leash, since Nat had hold of the other one already.

"Uh, we can do that, sure," Colin replied. "He seems friendly enough."

"Oh, he's friendly!" Jon said with a chuckle. "A little too friendly sometimes." He crouched down to ruffle the dog's fur, his face very close to his. "Cosmo, be good for these nice people. I'll be right back," he told the dog, as if expecting him to understand and obey. He got his face licked for his trouble.

Nat chuckled gently, crouching down beside Coco to ruffle the beautiful spaniel's fur. "Made a new friend, huh?" she teased the chocolate dog affectionately.

"I won't be long!" Jon promised, wiping the doggie kisses from his face and he sprinted back up the stairs to the door. Cosmo barked once as his master departed before turning to inspect his new friend again.

"Well, that was interesting," Colin said. "He seems friendly enough," he said, though whether he was speaking of Jon or Cosmo was unclear - maybe both.

"I didn't know you were a film buff," Nat commented in her husband's direction, gently pushing the friendly Cosmo away before he could lick her face. One thing she did not allow was face licking.

Colin shrugged. "Not sure I'm a film buff, but I enjoy a good film now and then. Don't you?" he asked curiously, an almost embarrassed smile on his face.

Nat shrugged, shaking her head. "I haven't sat down and watched a movie since ....oh, since I was in training," she admitted reluctantly. "I am woefully out of touch."

"Swan Song is a great movie. A little sad, though. Do you prefer comedy or drama?" Colin asked curiously, as he crouched down beside the dogs to make sure they didn't tangle themselves up again.

"I don't know," she admitted. "I guess it would depend on my mood, wouldn't it' I don't even know if I can sit still for long enough to watch a movie without fidgeting and talking and driving you insane."

"We'll make it a short movie then, the first time," he said, offering a smile, mostly for her sake. It saddened him to think she had been too busy to enjoy such simple pleasures in so many years. Maybe now she'd have time to do all the things she never had time for before.

"Well, I've got a few months to get used to it," she considered in a mischievous tone. "Apparently kids watch a lot of movies."

Colin chuckled. "That's what I hear. Should I resolve myself to liking Disney movies?" he asked, with a grin.

"Tolerating them for the next decade, probably," she laughed back to him, tilting her head away as Cosmo tried to give her another face kiss. "You, my man, are far too familiar with ladies you don't know. You have no idea where I've been!"

"And you have no idea where he's been," Colin reminded her with a grin. Of course, the same could be said for Coco, but she was his dog, so he didn't mind her doggy kisses.

Nat chuckled, moving to straighten from her crouch and stretch. Now she knew she was pregnant, her tiredness and aches made a little more sense, though she had written them off previously as little more than the effects of her hard-wearing lifetime on her body catching up to her.

It wasn't too long before Jon returned to rescue them from Cosmo, who seemed happy to be getting acquainted with a new canine friend. He smiled as he approached, which was probably a good sign. "He's in the study. He said he'll see you. I'll show you inside," he told them.

Surprised, Nat glanced at Colin with a half-smile. "Should we leave Coco out here?" she asked Jon, not wanting to upset Old Man Granger if they could possibly help it. They wanted him to at least approve of them, after all.

"He doesn't mind dogs. He and Cosmo are great friends. Sometimes I wonder which one of us he really belongs to," Jon replied with a chuckle, though that wasn't much of an answer. "I guess it's up to you. You know your dog best. She's a cutie though, isn't she?" he asked, as he bent down to ruffle Coco's ears. "I don't mind watching her for a while for you."

Again, Nat glanced to Colin. He knew Coco best, after all. "Where do we go?" she asked Jon curiously. They might use the portal in the basement of the house, but that didn't mean she knew the layout of the house itself.

"Are you sure you don't mind?" Colin asked, uncertainly. It wasn't so much that he didn't trust the man with his dog as he didn't want to be a bother.

"Not at all!" Jon replied with a grin. "I was just taking Cosmo for a walk anyway," he said. "The study is on your right. Just go inside, through the dining room. The study is on your right. If you get lost, ask someone and they'll direct you," he said, alluding to the fact that his uncle wasn't alone in the house.

"Thank you." Nat relinquished the leash, snorting with laughter as Coco bounced in a circle before working out who was in charge of her now. "Be good, mischief."

It was just as well Nat had trained as a spy, able to keep her expression collected even as she met Colin's eye with an obvious glimmer of hope in her own. Those terms were more than she had expected from the old man, if she was honest, inclined now not to believe his reputation as a grumpy old curmudgeon.

Colin turned back to Humphrey with a small smile on his face, though he was not entirely ready to accept his offer just yet. "I believe that will be acceptable. There is only one thing - we would ask that the property you choose is large enough for a family. It doesn't have to be big or fancy. We just need enough room to raise a family. That's all."

Humphrey raised his brow again, leaning back in his chair. "Young man, I chose for them the majority of the inhabited houses on the Grove," he said archly. "Give me a little credit in knowing how much space is required for a young family."

"I appreciate that, sir," Colin said, taking the slight scolding without even batting an eye. He'd been scolded by far more intimidating people than Humphrey and survived it. He respected what the man had to say, not only because he did not have to agree to their request, but because the man had earned it and deserved it by sheer age and experience. "That is all we ask."

"Well, then ..." Humphrey nodded once more, and this time it was a decisive gesture. "Allow me a few days to speak with the relevant people and have an appropriate house made ready. We will contact you when everything is settled, to finalize the details of this lease of yours."

Nat felt a rush of relieved gratitude sweep through her. "Thank you, sir."

"Yes, thank you," Colin said moving to his feet to offer his hand to Humphrey a second time. "How can I reach your granddaughter?" he asked further, regarding Caroline and taking the suggestion of possible employment to heart, as well.

"Young man, she is the CEO of the GrangerGuild Conglomerate," Humphrey informed him in amusement. "But perhaps you should move into your new home before you start shopping for a job. You have ties to unbind on Earth while you wait for the paperwork."

"True," Colin replied, with a thoughtful frown. He didn't think they'd ever not be part of A.E.G.I.S., but that didn't mean they couldn't have lives here on Rhy'Din when they weren't busy with A.E.G.I.S. If Steve Rogers could manage it, he didn't see any reason why they couldn't, as well. "Well, I suppose that's all then," he said, looking to Nat, as if to make sure.

"I guess it is." Nat rose to stand beside Colin, not even trying to hide the gratitude in her eyes from the old man looking up at them. "Thank you, truly. It means a lot that you would trust us with a home on the Grove."

Humphrey smiled, nodding to them both. "I know your connections, and I know your former purpose," he said, speaking to both of them. "Such dedication deserves some reward."

"Thank you again. I promise you won't regret it," Colin said, mirroring Nat's smile of gratitude, not only because the man was giving them a chance to live here, close to their friends, but because he'd presumably recognized the sacrifices they'd made to keep Earth safe. It went without saying they'd try to do the same for Rhy'Din, if the need arose, especially where Maple Grove was concerned. It seemed the Grangers were about to welcome yet another pair of orphans into their fold.

In just a few days, when the contract was written and signed, they would have their own place on Maple Grove, chosen for them by an old man who shouldn't have given them the time of day. But then ....stranger things had happened. Maybe having a family of their own would make them a part of the wider Granger family, blood ties or no blood ties. Two years was a very good start.