"Oh, I am so proud of her," Nat played along happily, bending to kiss Ana's newly cleaned cheek as the baby girl gurgled, very pleased with herself for making her parents happy. "And very proud of you, too," she added, leaning over to kiss Rhys affectionately. "I think Papa should do all meals, don't you, malyutka?" She lifted Ana out of the high chair, settling the little girl on her hip comfortably.

"I don't know about that," Rhys replied, practically blushing at the praise, which he didn't think was all that well-deserved. "But I'm very proud of both of you," he said, smooching first one girl then the other, starting with the little one and ending with the bigger one. "Will it be easier now that she's had her first taste?" he asked curiously, reaching around to unfasten the bib from around Ana's neck.

"Your guess is as good as mine, milaya," Nat shrugged. They were both still feeling their way through parenthood, and she, for one, was desperately hoping they got a handle on it before their first son was born in a year or so. "I think we will have to make food fun for a while, or she may go hungry." She kissed the little head by her shoulder. At least Ana was predictable in this - her stomach was full, therefore there was a nap in her very near future.

"If she takes anything after her Dada, she'll figure it out long before she goes hungry," Rhys said, scooping the little girl up from his wife's arms. "Looks like it's nap time," he said, lowering his voice. He took every chance he got to cuddle with the little girl, to rock her to sleep, to tuck her into bed. It wasn't unusual for Nat to find them both asleep together, Rhys having dozed off along with their daughter. One thing was certain - he was more content than ever.

"You are not wrong," Nat chuckled, giving up their daughter into his arms easily enough, one last kiss touched to the sleepy head. "And I need to look over the information we were given. Not that I don't trust Avalon's agents, of course, but they were wrong about Joyeuse." She smiled, stroking his cheek as she stepped away. "Do not get into the crib, it is not your bedtime yet."

He chuckled at her warning. "Um, no, I don't think I'd fit, even if I wanted to," he said, though he caught her meaning. Ever since they'd had their daughter, he just couldn't get enough of her, reveling in the role of being a father. "Does this mean we're not on maternity leave anymore?" he asked, as she stepped away.

"I think so," she agreed reluctantly. "And I think Ana would be safest with Rachel and Zachariel, on Avalon, while we are at work." She waved him away with a teasing hand. "Go and put her down. We should at least get a little work done today."

Rhys frowned a little, saddened that their leave of absence from their duties on Avalon were over, though he had to admit he loved the adventure. He'd spent his entire life going from one adventure to another, and now that he was with Nat, it only made things that much more interesting. The mile high club was proof enough of that. "Yes, dear," he quipped before stepping away to tuck Ana in for her afternoon nap.

Nat chuckled, watching him on his way before moving toward the study. The letter had arrived the day before, stamped with the wax seal of Avalon, containing two sheets of paper, and one sketch. It wasn't much to go on, but Nat was used to doing her own explorations. She had a feeling this would be a short trip, but possibly very exciting.

It wasn't long before Rhys returned and wearing a clean shirt, too. "Mission successful. Little Miss Troublemaker is fast asleep," he told her, joining her in the study, a cup of coffee in each hand. "So, what is it they want done?" he asked, curiously taking a lean against the desk and handing her one of the mugs.

By the time he joined her, she had pulled a couple of the old books down from their shelves, leaving them open as she smiled up at him, taking her coffee from his hand. "The Rod of Asclepius has been felt in the world," she told him thoughtfully, glancing down at the letter that had been sent to them. "Two agents have attempted to retrieve it, each time having to return to Avalon for healing, and each time the Rod has moved on to a different place." She frowned, shaking her head. "I do not want to know what they thought they were doing, to earn such an attack from such an artifact."

"The Rod of what?" he asked, not nearly as knowledgeable about the various artifacts and mythological objects that were sought by Avalon. "I can do magical things with my rod, if you like," he nudged her with an elbow and waggled his brows at her flirtatiously. He knew she was serious, but he just couldn't help himself.

She laughed, reaching over to poke at his side for his silly flirting. "Asclepius," she told him, turning one of the books to show off the illustration of the artifact. It was a simple wooden staff, twined about with a single snake. "The Greek God of medicine, one of Apollo's sons. If it is back in the world and active, then it is only a matter of time before someone finds it and begins to misuse it. It could be a powerful weapon, in the wrong hands. The Rod can heal anything, but if it is wielded by a will strong enough to dominate it, it can also infect anyone."

He smiled, pleased he'd made her laugh, despite the seriousness of the subject matter. He tilted his head to look at the drawing, crossing his legs as he leaned against the desk and took a sip of his coffee. "It looks familiar. Don't hospitals use that as a symbol or something?" Thankfully, he hadn't mixed the thing up with any other rods or staffs of which there were several. "What's with the snake" And what do you mean infect' Infect them with what?" he asked, brows furrowing, not liking the sound of that.

"It is the universal symbol for healing these days," she nodded, smiling at him. "Often confused with the caduceus, but yes, hospitals use it on their logos a lot. The snake is supposedly a non-venomous specimen that was used in healing in ancient times." She sighed softly, brushing her hair back out of her face. "The Rod is the greatest power there could possibly be when it comes to healing, but in the wrong hands, it would be the most powerful bio-weapon there could possibly exist. Nothing would be able to cure the illnesses it inflicted. That power cannot be allowed to remain free on Earth."

Rhys sobered, turning serious, knowing how important this was. There was a time for humor, and this wasn't it. "Okay, what have we got' Where was it seen last' And what happened to the agents who tried to recover it' Did they survive?" he asked, slumping down into a chair and taking another sip of his coffee.

She handed him the letter, which didn't really say much. "The Rod seems to be staying within the boundaries of Ancient Greece, but that is a large area to cover," she told him, leaning back in her own chair. "Of the two who went for it, the first returned to Avalon unable to sleep because of a rash that had been inflicted on him. It was not fatal, but it kept him from laying his hands on the Rod. The second was almost disemboweled; again, he was healed when he reached Avalon. Both still alive, but with very sketchy memories of what happened. The Grand Master believes that they both attempted to take the Rod by force from its resting place, without passing the tests laid out to discover their worthiness." She tapped a couple of keys at the computer. "There has a been a rash of miraculous recoveries without medical intervention in and around Delphi in the last few months - I believe that is probably where the Rod is currently resting. And if we can spot that pattern, you can bet others will, too."

Her fingers curled into his tightly as she raised her eyes to his, wet with tears at the thought of not being there when Ana cried, even for a single day. "I know," she agreed, nodding. She knew her duty, as well as he knew his. "It does not make it any easier."

"I'm gonna miss her, too, but we're not doing this for ourselves, Nat. We're doing this to make the world a safer, better place for our children," he said, though she had to know that already. Everything he'd done throughout his life, it seemed, he'd done for other people - and to survive - but now that they had a child of their own, it only made things more clear, more personal. He touched his fingers to her cheek, his heart aching at the sight of her tears. "I'll go alone, if you want. You stay in Avalon with Ana."

"Nyet." The denial of that offer was instant, her head shaking as she raised her other hand to capture his. "Ana will be perfectly safe. You will not be. You will need me more than she will. This is why we work together, milaya. Alone, we would not be able to accomplish this. Together, we can. I can do this. I promise I can." She swallowed, visibly drawing the effort together to suppress her tears and offer him a smile. "See?"

"There's nothing wrong with crying, Nat," he reassured her with a soft smile, his fingers closing on hers. He was no stranger to tears; in fact, he was usually the one being comforted rather than doing the comforting. He already knew that would be her answer. He knew her well enough to know she wouldn't let him go alone - not again, not after what had happened the last time, and he'd promised never to leave her behind again. "We're in this together, Nat. Always and forever, remember?"

"Always and forever," she agreed with him, closing both hands about his one. "Once we have done it this once, it will not be so hard, and in a few years she will be old enough to come with us, if it is not too dangerous." She nodded, forcing her smile once again. "It is just hard, this first time."

"I know. It's hard for me, too," he replied. If it was this hard for him, he could only imagine how hard it must be for Nat to leave her baby daughter. A thought occurred to him suddenly and he chuckled. "I think we've become domesticated," he told her with a smirk and a sparkle in his green eyes that were so like their daughter's.

She laughed at the thought of them ever being domesticated, knowing what she did of both their lives before they'd found one another. "That will never do," she smiled, shaking her head. "We cannot possibly have the Champion of Avalon happily wearing an apron and playing nanny for the rest of his life."

He chuckled again, tugging at her hand to draw her off her chair and into his lap. "The funny thing is I would. I'd happily wear an apron and a spit-up stained shirt and stay home with you and Ana for the rest of my life."

Nat's smile relaxed as he drew her into his lap, the case spread over the desk forgotten as she curled her arms about his neck affectionately. "I know what you mean," she agreed, one fingertip tracing his lips. "But we would not be us any longer, if that was our whole life. Our children will grow up with a lifetime of adventures under our eyes."

"Just so long as they don't get hurt," he told her, kissing her fingertip as she traced his lips. "You know, Mrs. Bristol, we have a little time to kill before Her Majesty wakes up from her nap. Would you like to spend it going over the next job or making better use of the time?" he asked, a hand creeping up under the hem of her dress. Even just sitting around the house, she looked amazing. There was no one in Rhys' eyes as lovely or sexy as his wife.

"Mmm, I can think of nothing I would rather do," she murmured tenderly, leaning down to brush her lips against his. "We have everything we need for the job as it stands. Nothing more we can do this evening." She smiled once again, nipping him fondly. "Do you think, perhaps, we will make it past the nursery this time without waking her up?"

"We might if you can keep your hands off me long enough," he replied with a teasing grin. "Or we could stay right here," he suggested. The place wasn't so important - they had made love in stranger places, unless she wanted to snuggle in bed. He wasn't opposed to that either. Any time spent alone with his wife was time well spent, no matter what they were doing. As for himself, if the way his hand was creeping up her thigh was any indication, he had more on his mind than snuggling.

She had always been so easily roused for him, right from the first hour in which they had met, and that did not seem to be abating at all. If anything, Nat was more in love with Rhys every day, always open and willing to show him in more ways than one. She laughed into his grin, pressing kiss after kiss against his lips as she eased ever closer. "I knew we had thick carpet put in here for a reason ..."

"Mmm," he murmured against her lips as kiss after kiss was shared. "There's always the desk," he suggested with a mischievous grin, turning her to straddle his hips, as his hands slid daringly higher. There was no question what he intended, his appetite for his wife as easily aroused as hers for him. She had practically seduced him that first time on the plane, and he had made it a point to return the favor time and again. Whether they were new parents or not, they never seemed to grow tired of each other. Like her, if anything, he only fell more in love with her with each passing day.

"You're just buttering me up," she teased him, easing to fit snug against him as his hands bunched her dress about her hips. "So you don't have to feed Ana later." Her laughter ghosted against his lips as she gently undulated against him, knowing full well exactly what that intimate friction was going to do to her very virile husband.

"This has nothing to do with Ana," he reminded her, unless, of course, she got pregnant again, but he wasn't too worried about that. It was an inevitability, anyway, and would happen when it happened. He didn't want to know every detail of their lives to come, content to know there were more children waiting for them in the future. He groaned against her lips, her undulating having the desire effect. There was no stopping now. Hopefully, Ana would cooperate.

"Oh, nothing at all," Nat laughed, but the sound faded soon enough, her voice instead filling the room with the sound of her pleasure in the man she adored above every other. If there had been a Church of Rhys, she would have been his High Priestess, sacrificed willingly on the altar every night for his divine glory. As it was, she was his wife, and she had learned very quickly how to make each and every moment they shared like this more memorable than the last.

The chair, the desk, the floor - it didn't really matter where they ended up. Each moment together, no matter how brief, was enjoyed to the fullest, as if any moment might be their last. They had both learned the hard way that life was precious and far too short to waste even a single moment together. While some couples might have grown bored with each other, Rhys and Natalya only seemed to love each other more as time passed, their love burning brighter and deeper than ever before.

Of course, it had to end sometime, and that ending came with the waking of their charming daughter. Whatever else Ana had, she was definitely in possession of a fine pair of lungs. For a long moment, there was no movement in the office, then a hand came into sight, flailing for the edge of the desk as Nat pulled herself up onto her knees, breathless and laughing. "I swear, milaya, you are getting better at that ..."

"Someone once told me that practice makes perfect," he grinned up at her from the floor. Thank God they'd decided to install thick carpet in here or someone was bound to get a friction burn. "My turn," he volunteered, rolling to his feet to tug his jeans back up over his hips. "What do you say we order out tonight?" he asked, not feeling like all the fuss and muss of making dinner, no matter how quick and easy.

She grinned up at him as he found his feet, pulling her dress back over her head. "I say that is a very good plan," she agreed laughingly. "Did you see where my panties went?" Because she certainly hadn't. "I was a little ....distracted. Where did you learn that tongue thing?" Pushing herself onto her feet, she pulled him close, kissing him once again.

"Uhh..." he replied uncertainly. Her panties had been there just a little while ago. What had he done with them' "They couldn't have gone far," he said. He would have taken a look under the desk, but he didn't get the chance. Pulled close, he smiled against her lips when she kissed him, amused by her question. "I read, too, you know," he told her. "Did you know the tongue is the strongest muscle in the body?"

"I'll just have to wear yours, then," she teased him, nipping as she drew away. His information on the tongue made her laugh as she gently slapped his chest. "Go and see to your daughter's offensive rear end, dusha moya. She's playing your song."

He was tempted to demonstrate further, but Ana's wails were reaching crisis mode, and he was afraid if one of them didn't see to her soon, she might blow their eardrums out. "What song is that' Daddy, I have a dirty diaper?" He smirked, leaning close to kiss her again, fingers sliding through her hair before pulling away to go check on Little Miss Dirty Diaper. "I love you, dorogagya," he whispered tenderly.

She laughed once again, lingering with him before he drew back, her cheeks lighting up with a warm, happy flush at his whisper. "I love you, milaya," she promised him. "And to prove it' I will make you coffee while you are dealing with the spawn of our loins."

"Sounds like a plan," he replied with a cheerful grin. It wasn't just the afternoon delight that was putting the Cheshire Cat grin on his fact, but the fact that at long last, after so many years of heartache and pain, he felt really and truly happy, even if that happiness was occasionally tainted by a dirty diaper or two. "I'm pretty sure the spawn of our loins has a present for me," he said with a laugh as he headed turned the nursery. "All right, all right! It's not the end of the world!" he scolded their daughter.

Nat laughed as she watched him go, turning to gather together the papers and books once again. Their life might be returning to adventure, but it would only be for a little while. And yes, their duty to Avalon would pull them away from this domesticated bliss they had managed to build around themselves from time to time, but it would never pull them apart. Whatever else happened to them, their family would always come first, and they had been promised a family that would grow as the years went on. As dreams went, it was a good one.

((Time for Rhys and Nat to go back to work! What will happen this time, I wonder" Many thanks to Rhys' player!))