Ian seemed far less nervous to be visiting Avalon than Aurelia, but then he was fairly secure in his place here and fairly comfortable with his surroundings. In fact, in a way, Avalon felt very much like home to a man who was a scholar in Arthurian legend and lore. Even so, he had no idea what to expect and was nervous with eager anticipation.

Within moments of the vines closing behind them, there was the sound of rustling skirts and hasty footsteps - unlike most visitors honored with an audience within the heart of Avalon, who had to traverse the paths to reach the pool before meeting the Lady, Ian and Aurelia were one of only two couples who could expect to have Elaine greet them almost before they had truly entered at all. There she was, on the path before them, ancient and youthful, timelessly beautiful, her golden hair flying behind her as she rushed to greet them, wrapping them both in her embrace. "Welcome home," she told them both, her voice rich with emotion. "It has been too long since we have seen you."

Ian was both pleased and relieved to find Elaine so welcoming, as if they were long lost family come home at last. He blinked in surprise at the hug, but returned it as warmly as he could while maintaining a respectful distance. He was obviously not as comfortable as Rhys or Nat, and yet, he thought the welcome boded well for them both. As for Elaine, she hadn't changed a bit from when they'd last seen her, and Ian wondered if she ever would. "I apologize if we're intruding," he told her as he stepped back and let her welcome Aurelia in turn.

"It is never an intrusion to see old friends," Elaine told him with a gentle smile, touching his cheek. "You knew me in my youth; you will always be welcome here." But he couldn't hold her attention for long when there was a baby to be seen - a baby who had been conceived in the first days of Avalon hidden in the mists, their reward from the powers for safeguarding the isle and its mysteries. "And this is?" she asked, stroking gentle fingertips against the newborn girl's head as Aurelia smiled proudly. The witch did not speak, though, leaving it to Ian to share the name they had given their daughter.

He would have been perfectly happy to do the same, leaving it up to Aurelia to present their newborn daughter and share her name, but for some reason, it seemed she was deferring to Ian. He gave Aurelia a questioning look before turning back to Elaine with an answer. "Our daughter," he told her, though that much was obvious. "Morgan Viviane," he said, smiling softly and proudly as he looked to the small bundle in his wife's arms. Though she might not ever hold such an important title or role as Ana, she was still a child of Avalon, even more so for having been conceived here.

"Oh ..." For a moment, the soft beauty that marked Elaine out from so many others grew almost impossibly soft as she looked down at the sleeping baby, deeply touched by the giving of a name most people in the outside world had forgotten as the years passed.

With a smile, Aurelia laid little Morgan into the arms of the Lady of Avalon, watching as Elaine gathered the tiny life to her with arms that had not forgotten what it was to hold a child. "We wanted to remember them," she told Elaine softly. "We have you living, still here to love, but they are long gone from this world and from ours. Now, perhaps, they will live again, wherever our daughter is."

Ian only smiled on the trio of women - one tiny and one grown and one ageless and timeless. Aurelia had explained the naming far better than he could have. Had the child been a boy, it was likely he would have been Arthur, but the Fates had seen fit to give them a girl-child, and though tired, there couldn't have been a prouder, happier father than Ian. "To remember and honor them," Ian explained further. Not even the Champion and Priestess had chosen such names, but then, they had not personally met the women in question.

Leaning into Ian as she watched Elaine, Aurelia's smile was enough to make her cheeks ache. Despite her hesitation, this felt right, to present their daughter to the Lady of Avalon so soon after her birth, and to see the tearful smile as the woman who stood at the heart of the sacred isle welcomed little Morgan into her heart.

"She is beautiful," Elaine said finally, her voice softer now as she gestured for them to come with her to the pool that was the source of her power. "And strong. She will be a power in your world, however she chooses to exert it."

Ian arched a brow at Elaine's declaration, though he was entirely surprised by the news that their daughter held some hidden power deep inside her. She was the daughter of a witch, after all, though Ian possessed no special abilities. He exchanged a glance with Aurelia and took her hand in his as they followed the lady to the pool, curious what she might see for their child and their future.

Kneeling carefully by the pool, Elaine dipped her fingers into the cool waters, raising them to trace a few drops onto Morgan's forehead as the baby girl squirmed in the secure wrap of her arm. "Conceived in Avalon, and by Avalon's hand blessed," the Lady said quietly. "Ever shall we stand guardians to the future you shall inhabit, Morgan Viviane, daughter of Ian and Aurelia." She bent her head to kiss the newborn softly, easing the tiny girl to the crook of her arm once again. Summer sky eyes rose to look at the parents as they watched her. "I may answer one question to ease your minds or incite your curiosity," she told them gently. "What question would you have answered?"

Ian watched quietly, while the Lady blessed their daughter. There was nothing much he needed to ask or say, touched by the Lady's tenderness toward their daughter and her willingness to welcome her to Avalon. He gave Aurelia's hand a gentle squeeze as they watched hand in hand, turning a questioning look to her at the Lady's prompting. He had so many questions it was hard to pick only one, and he didn't want to waste the opportunity asking something silly and trivial. "Is there something you would like to ask?" he said, deferring once again to his wife.

Meeting Ian's eyes, Aurelia frowned thoughtfully, understanding that there were too many questions to choose just one from the maelstrom in her mind. But at the same time, there was only one question whose answer mattered. Holding tight to Ian's hand, she lowered her eyes to where the Lady sat, holding their daughter. "Will she find her own happiness?" she asked softly.

For a long moment, Elaine was silent, examining what she had been shown of the little lifetime stretching out before for in those moments of power. Her smile returned, gentle, sad, but hopeful, too. "Happiness is what we make for ourselves," she said carefully. "There will be sadness in her life, and happiness. And I See love for her. It will be up to her, to be happy with what she has."

Ian frowned a little at the future the Lady had predicted for their daughter - a prediction which was rather vague. In every life there was some sorrow and some happiness. It didn't really tell them much about what to expect or gave any hints at how to raise their daughter, and yet, every parent worried for their child's future and few were given any hints about their future, such as they had just been given. "When you say what she has, do you mean her talents and abilities or what she has accomplished in life?"

"She will have the Sight, as witches of Aurelia's line sometimes have," Elaine clarified a little. "It will not come to her until she is grown, for there is another power she will have before too long. The way she chooses to live with the Sight will determine her happiness, Ian. I cannot predict her choices."

"Another power?" Ian echoed, unsure what Elaine meant by that, but not wanting to push his luck. She'd said one question, and he knew it might not be good to know too much. "I only want her to be happy," he said of their daughter who was just barely four days old.

Aurelia seemed to understand better what Elaine was saying, absentmindedly raising Ian's hand to her lips to kiss his knuckles gently in reassurance. She, at least, was not concerned by the news that their daughter would develop a form of Sight on top of her active power; it was in her blood, after all.

"No, but I was there with you through all of it," he reminded her, their daughter cradled in one arm, while he led her way from the Lady's garden with the other. "I feel like I could sleep for a week," he told her with a small laugh, wondering what would happen once they did fall asleep. Would anyone wake them or would they let them sleep as long as was needed?

As the vines slithered closed in their wake, Aurelia seemed to relax a little more, stumbling wearily on her feet. The peace and serenity of Avalon had only served to make her much more aware of her aches and pains, and her need to sleep soundly, if only for a few hours. "I would hope they would not keep Morgan from us for a week, purely to allow us sleep."

"No, not a week," Ian agreed, glancing down at their young daughter who was busy searching for a finger or thumb to suckle. "But perhaps a few hours." Even if they were allowed as much sleep as they wanted, he knew they would both miss their daughter too much before long. "We have a lot to talk about, Ree, but first I think we both need some rest."

"I think you are right, mon coeur," she agreed, stifling a yawn as their feet took them toward the cottage that was their own, without a need for a guide. "At least she was fed not so long ago. We may have an hour or so before she wishes it again."

Feeding their daughter was going to prove interesting without the help of modern conveniences, but if there was any place where they could get all the help they needed, it was here in Avalon. "Then we should take advantage of it while it lasts," he replied. He didn't have to wonder if the cottage had been prepared for them. The Lady seemed to anticipate their every need and desire before they had even arrived here.

She nodded, smiling as they walked along. "All I really want is to curl up with you both and sleep," she admitted with a tired chuckle, reaching over to let Morgan suck on her fingertip for a while. They had packed at least one pacifier, hadn't they' She hoped so. "I do not think I could sleep at all if I did not have you both near by."

"I'm not going anywhere, Ree," he assured her, leaning close to brush a kiss against her cheek before leading her on. It was a short enough walk to their cottage, but weariness made it seem so much longer. There would be time to talk later and to plan and to sort out what they wanted to do now that their lives had changed once again. There would be time to speak with Sir Lionel and Zachariel regarding their continuing work with the library and the vast collection of books and scrolls, which Ian had not yet had much time to explore. There would be time to visit with Elaine, not only in their official capacities, but as friends. There would be time for it all, now that they were back in Avalon - now that they were home.